ISC West: What You Need to Know

SSI delivers an overview of the annual conference to help installing security contractors and other industry stakeholders plan their expo and education itineraries.

TRYING TO KEEP PACE with an industry that at times seems to be moving at the speed of light can be a trying, if not exasperating, exercise.

Product and technology refreshes at a dizzying clip. Competitive threats from new entrants and DIY offerings. Operational best practices that once fostered decades-long prosperity now considered antiquated. Physical security becoming ever more intertwined with information security. What can a security professional do to stay in front of it all? Well, come April one answer is to pack your suitcase and head to Las Vegas for the 48th offering of ISC West.

Produced by Reed Exhibitions and exclusively sponsored by the Security Industry Association (SIA), ISC West will convene at the Sands Expo & Convention Center April 6-8. Billed as the largest exhibition hall in North America dedicated to security, organizers say they are expecting in the neighborhood of 29,000 installing security contractors, consultants, specifiers, end users and representatives from manufacturers, distributors and central stations, among other industry professionals.

The show will also host more than 1,000 exhibitors, showcasing products, technologies and services from across the physical and logical security landscape. A robust educational program is also once again stocked with sessions to keep security pros abreast of technology trends and much more. Read on for our annual conference overview to help you plan your schedule, accordingly.


More: How to Survive (and Thrive) at ISC West 2016


Education Focuses on Dealer & Integrator Needs

The slate of curriculum offered through the SIA Education@ISC will include more than 65 sessions on a wide range of topics.

The coursework qualifies for continuing education (CE) hours with various relevant industry accreditation bodies. Certificates of attendance will be distributed to all session attendees after the show. Participants who complete sessions through SIA Education@ISC may be eligible to receive ALOA education credits (AEU), ASIS continuing professional education credits (CPE), NICET continuing professional development points (CPD) and more.

A new time structure is intended to give participants ample time to visit the exhibition floor following their session work. Packages are available for one, two or all three days of sessions, which are now labeled by level (intro, intermediate or advanced).

Roughly 29,000 security professionals are expected to be on hand for ISC West.

PSA Security Network is presenting a full-day roster of curriculum on April 5 that will be dedicated solely to systems integrators, including system design, installation and deployment, best business practices and more.

The PSA-Tec@ISC track includes such titles as “Video Analytics: The Real Past and the Imagined Future”; “The Hottest IT Skills in the Physical Security Space”; “Cyber Security: How to Ensure Vendors Are Not Leaving You Vulnerable”; and “How to Implement a Life Cycle Management Program.”

Among other sessions, “Taking the Edge Off of Systems Integration” will be moderated by Paul Boucherle, principal of Matterhorn Consulting and SSI‘s Business Fitness columnist. He’ll lead a panel that includes Nigel Waterton, a senior vice president at Aronson Security Group; Chad Parris, president of Security Risk Management Consultants; and Wayne Smith, president of Tech Systems.

“This session will provide insights on simplifying the complexity of both upgrade and new project system integration challenges,” Boucherle says. “The takeaways will be a very focused checklist to improve your business approach to system integration challenges.”

A complete educational brochure can be downloaded at ISCWest.com.

Click to the next page for all the events and expos you need to check out…

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About the Author

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Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.

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