Last month, I provided an outline of seven essential elements that I recommend managers follow to properly introduce newcomers to the wonderful world of electronic security.
On the flip side, if you are that newcomer, but you lack the benefit of a suitable mentor, make sure to bone up on the following key areas:
- historical context and current market metrics
- explanations of how the channel flows
- examples of prominent manufacturers, distributors, monitoring centers, alarm dealers and systems integrators
- summaries of devices, systems and capabilities
- important trade associations
- key trade shows, events and conferences
- industry trade publications (including SSI) so you can learn more, keep up and adapt
Previously, I elaborated on number five (trade associations) and promised to dig into the closely related topic labeled number six (trade shows and events). Regardless of a person’s role within a security organization, I am a firm believer that, if they are relatively new to the business and have never been to a security expo or conference, they need to experience it.
There is no substitute for soaking it all up in person, sitting in on some education sessions and beginning to establish industry contacts. However, due to the time and money investments entailed, this cannot be undertaken willy-nilly. The mission of professional enrichment, as opposed to just looking for a good time, must be well-understood.
Tips for Successful Trade Show Attendance
Managers must coach newbies and assist them in organizing a plan that includes an overall objective and scheduling key meetings, booth visits, education sessions, presentations and other activities, as well as directives of what to expect and take away from each one.
Ideally, a manager or associate will accompany the novice to their first event to help make introductions and offer insights along the way. Regarding post-event takeaways, it’s crucial to huddle up afterward to evaluate impressions of the show experience, report on what was learned, discuss contacts made, assess potential opportunities and plan diligent follow-up.
Just as I can vouch for trade association participation, I can also vouch for the fact that the majority of security’s most successful managers, entrepreneurs and executives (including lots of SSI Industry Hall of Famers) attend, exhibit, participate and are visible at in-person events.
Having gotten out from the pandemic’s dark shadow, which derailed trade shows for a couple of years, onsite gatherings have returned to pre-COVID-19 levels. The net effect of that suppression has served to amplify the fervor.
I will never forget my first year of touring the security trade show circuit. Even though I was already in my 30s, and I had the advantage of guidance and support, it was still rather overwhelming to take it all in.
One of the things that really made a difference was quickly discovering the wealth of high-character, friendly people who were ubiquitous in the industry — many of them very welcoming and willing to patiently explain security basics and share knowledge. Many of the connections and relationships that I established at those initial events still exist today, decades later.
Security Industry Events Guide
What follows is a basic security events guide. (Note that registration costs vary widely.)
International Security Conference (ISC) West: Sponsored by the Security Industry Association (SIA), this is the mother of all security expos and product launches; held springtime in Las Vegas; approximately 20,000-plus participants.
Global Security Exchange (GSX): Produced by ASIS, this is the commercial security end-user event; held in different cities (New Orleans for 2025), usually in September; approximately 15,000-plus participants.
Electronic Security Expo (ESX): Owned by the Electronic Security Association (ESA), this is known for education and networking; usually held in June at different locations (Atlanta in 2025); approximately 800-plus participants.
ISC East: Sponsored by SIA in partnership with ASIS, it’s billed as the northeast’s leading security and public safety event; held during November (19-20 this year) in New York City; approximately 4,000-plus participants.
The Monitoring Association (TMA) Annual Meeting: The most significant monitoring industry gathering; usually held in October in different resort-type locations; several hundred participants.
PSA TEC: The most significant systems integrator gathering; usually held in springtime (March 9-12 in Denver this year); known for networking and education; currently only for those associated with PSA; several hundred participants.
Securing New Ground (SNG): Produced by SIA, aimed at executives; focused on intelligence sharing, business analysis, market trends, technologies and networking; held during November in New York City; a couple hundred participants.
Security Investor Conference (SIC): Produced by Imperial Capital, aimed at executives; select companies present positioning and strategic growth plans to investors and business leaders; held during December in New York City; a few hundred participants.
Barnes Buchanan Security Conference: Aimed at executives and led by SSI Industry Hall of Famer Michael Barnes; promotes itself as the premier financing and acquisition conference for the alarm monitoring industry; held in February at the Breakers Palm Beach resort in Florida; a few hundred participants.
Various Local Association Conferences: Wherever you live, chances are there are local and/or state security trade groups that hold annual events, including the California Alarm Association’s (CAA) winter and summer conventions; these smaller gatherings are a great starting point.
There are many other types of events to consider, depending on where your company is on the security spectrum. In my view, most of these are best suited to experienced showgoers.
Examples include additional security industry meetings; adjacent expos, including CEDIA Expo and Commercial Integrator Expo; mainstream conventions, including the enormous Consumer Electronics Show (CES); vertical market gatherings, such as the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show; vendor-hosted conferences; community-related gatherings; and, if so inclined, international exhibitions, including Germany’s Security Essen.
You could go crazy with all that, so it is important to be choosy and strategic. Along with events, I also highly encourage office or site visits for newcomers to acquaint themselves with current and prospective channel partners.
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