Get Down With the SAMMYs
Entering its 13th annual SAMMY Awards ceremony, Security Sales & Integration prepares to announce the winners of the esteemed event, held at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas on the eve of the much-anticipated ISC West exposition.
Some of the industry’s finest security dealers and systems integrators will be in attendance as they are honored for their sales, marketing and installation accomplishments. The finalists will be competing for placement as the top dog in each of the 12 SAMMY (Sales and Marketing) categories. Program Promotes Installing Firms Grand prizes will be given for Integrated Installation of the Year and Integrated Marketing Program of the Year. “We have this program to acknowledge the installing companies that go out of their way to market every aspect of their business, position themselves for growth and demonstrate their commitment to this industry,” says SSI Publisher John Lacasale. “This is truly an acknowledgement of their efforts in sales and marketing, and how their companies have benefited from these efforts.” 
All are welcome to attend the free event. The ceremony will open with hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and will offer a chance to meet and greet some of the industry’s best.
“The event this year will be a little bit different than it has been in the past,” says Lacasale. “Ideally, we want our attendees to have a fun time networking and connecting with each other, and learn about what some of the finalists and winners have done to enhance their position in the market. Attendees can see what these companies did to accomplish this goal.” Leslie Stevens, president of Eclipse Marketing in Laguna Beach, Calif., joined the panel of SAMMY judges this year to help select the top nominees in each of the 12 categories.
“I was extremely impressed with the quality of each entry. Not only were all the submissions uniquely designed, but participants took great care in presenting their material,” Stevens says.
Asg, Hsm Top Finalists’ List HSM Electronic Protection Services of Lisle, Ill., and ASG Security of Beltsville, Md., will fight to the finish line with six nominations apiece, including best community service program, commercial/industrial sales brochure, newspaper and yellow-page advertisement, and promotional giveaway item.
“We’re not a big powerhouse like HSM. We’re more regional but I think it’s a real compliment to our work that we can go toe to toe,” says Bob Ryan, senior vice president, sales & marketing, ASG Security. “I think the SAMMYs have become the benchmark for marketing excellence in our industry.”
Benson Systems from Gilbert, Ariz., trails close behind HSM and ASG, placing as a finalist in five categories, including Integrated Installation of the Year, Overall Integrated Marketing Campaign and Promotional Giveaway Item.
“As always, we are extremely proud to be competing in so many of the different categories for the SAMMY Awards this year! Everyone in our company is aware of our nominations and we look forward to adding a few more trophies to our SAMMY trophy case here at Benson Systems,” says Peter Hudson, strategic accounts manager, Benson Systems. The winners and finalists of the 2008 SAMMY Awards will be comprehensively profiled in the June issue of SSI. The Integrated Installation of the Year winner will also be featured in an in-depth case study in the July edition.
Hall Of Fame, Pdq Honors On Tap The SAMMY celebration will also feature the induction of the newest SSI Hall of Fame members, along with the presentation of the annual Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award.
The individuals to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame this year are: Larry Tracy, president and CEO of Aleph America Corp.; Bart Didden, president of U.S.A. Central Station Alarm Corp.; Roger Fradin, 
president and CEO for Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions (ACS); and Richard Ginsburg, president and CEO of Protection One. For the complete story on the Hall of Fame inductees, see page 74.
Alarm Detection Systems (ADS) of Aurora, Ill. will receive the 3rd Annual PDQ Award for its excellence in minimizing false police dispatches. The award is sponsored by the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA) and SSI.
Your Guide to ISC West 2008 Industry professionals from all over the world prepare to attend the 40th annual International Security Conference (ISC) West, hosted by Reed Exhibitions at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. More than 26,000 security dealers, integrators and other security professionals are expected to attend the exposition, held April 2-4.
This year’s ISC West will host in excess of 1,000 exhibitors, including industry heavy-hitters Honeywell Fire & Security, GE Security, Bosch Security Systems, DSC, Pelco, Panasonic, HID, Hirsch, ADT, NAPCO and Linear. Attendees will walk the show floor in search of the newest products and technologies in access control, alarms and monitoring, biometrics, video surveillance, IT convergence and more.
This year’s expo also provides the opportunity for installing security contractors to beef up their industry knowledge through a plethora of seminars and workshops. ISC Education sessions will be offered throughout the expo and will focus on new applications for retail and life safety. Attendees are offered the chance to receive continuing education (CEU) credits from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to maintain their professional certifications by attending the sessions.
Industry leaders will share their opinions on industry trends, case studies and standards in the inaugural ISC Signature Series. Program topics will include networking/IP, fire detection and monitoring, wireless security, and IT security. In addition to the educational 
benefits of the show, the Security Industry Association (SIA) will host its popular New Product Showcase (NPS), recognizing the most innovative products on the show floor. With its largest number of entries ever, SIA will review more than 100 new products and technologies competing for the top honors in each of the 17 categories. Several new categories including IP products, convergence and critical/mass communications will debut at this year’s showcase.
One winner will be presented with the highest award honor as “Best NPS Innovation” for 2008. Last year’s award went to RSI Video Technologies for its Videofied security system. This year’s ISC West will have something for everyone. Be sure to stop by booth No. 17145 to meet the SSI team!
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