The Ultimate Guide to ISC West 2020

Is ISC West fast sneaking up on you? It’s going down a few weeks earlier on the calendar this year, you do know … or do you? Have no fear, SSI’s annual event overview is here to help get you prepared in the nick of time.

Produced by Reed Exhibitions and exclusively sponsored by the Security Industry Association (SIA), ISC West 2020 will be held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center March 17-20. Billed as the largest exhibition hall in North America dedicated to security, organizers say they are expecting more than 30,000 installing security contractors, consultants, specifiers, end users and representatives from manufacturers, distributors and central stations, among other industry stakeholders.

The event will also host around 1,000 exhibitors, showcasing products, technologies and services from across the physical and logical security landscape.

A comprehensive educational program will cover an array of industry subjects, with a goal to meet the ongoing learning needs of the event’s installing security contractor audience. What follows is a conference review, replete with the details you need to purposefully plan your daily schedule.

Diverse, Multitrack Education Curriculum

Organizers of the SIA Education@ISC program have assembled nearly 100 accredited sessions among some 20 tracks of vendor-agnostic physical security and network training. The curriculum 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) and NICET continuing professional development points (CPD).

The SIA Education@ISC courses are structured to allow participants sufficient time to visit the exhibition floor following their session work. Packages are available for one, two or all three days of sessions, which are labeled by intro, intermediate or advanced levels.

A large portion of the overall curriculum is geared toward installing security contractors, including executives, managers, field technicians, central station personnel and others.

“Each year, our goal is to keep our finger on the pulse of the converged security issues driving our industry forward and provide our attendees with the education they need to deal with the complex security threats they’re faced with every day,” says Will Wise, group vice president, security portfolio at Reed Exhibitions. “In 2020, we’re emphasizing major trends, such as unmanned security and smart cities, while introducing new programming on topics attendees have asked to see incorporated, such as loss prevention and supply chain.”

The Department of Homeland Security will have an increased presence at this year’s conference. In a DHS blog post, the agency states its ISC West participation is intended to “challenge our industry partners to help develop technology that can be applied to enhance security operations across multiple end-user missions.” Attendees can connect with agency representatives at the DHS exhibit booth (#33040), located in the Drones & Robotics Zone.

In all, DHS will take part in five speaking engagements, including a town hall meeting titled, “Enhancing Security and Doing Business at the Speed of Life.” Open to all attendees and badge types, the DHS is encouraging innovative exhibitors to attend as a call to action for the industry to innovate together and to foster public/private sector collaboration, Wise tells SSI.

PSA Security Network is hosting a six-session track on March 17 as part of its ongoing TEC@ISC series. Members of PSA committees and other industry subject matter experts will conduct sessions focusing on leadership development, cybersecurity, marketing and more.

Paul Boucherle, principal of Matterhorn Consulting and SSI’s Business Fitness columnist, will moderate “Employee & Performance Management: Engagement Ideas from Industry Leaders.” Here, panelists will discuss how to create and build metrics that will help drive employee’s behavior through defining and communicating strategic objectives tailored to every individual and role throughout the organization.

Boucherle, an SSI Hall of Fame inductee, will also present the session, “Security Industry Talent Acquisition — Why Should the Talent Acquire YOU?” Attendees will learn seven key lessons about talent perception and differentiation.

This year ISC West will present three keynote addresses. On March 18 (8:30 a.m.), Charles Burns, head of security – new mobility at Uber, will present “Scaling Enterprise Risk Management at the Speed of Global Transportation.” This talk will explain how Uber navigates a challenging landscape by using technology to enable its business, secure company assets and ensure the safety of riders and drivers globally.

The following day (8:30 a.m.), Michael MacKenzie, general manager, Amazon IoT Connectivity & Control at AWS, will present “On the Edge of Transformation: Securing a Connected Future With IoT.” MacKenzie will discuss how the company enables organizations to protect the evolving security-focused Internet of Things ecosystem.

Also on March 19 (noon), retired Brigadier General Christopher Fowler will discuss “The Threat Within,” based on his vast experience in developing and implementing best practices to defend against active shooter and workplace violence.

To download a complete educational brochure, visit iscwest.com.

Networking Galore & Much More

Numerous awards programs, networking events, product showcases and other related activities will be held throughout ISC West. Here is a selection:

SAMMY Awards & SSI Industry Hall of Fame Induction

SSI invites electronic security professionals from the installation and supplier communities to attend the 25th Annual SAMMY (Sales and Marketing) Awards, along with the 16th Annual SSI Hall of Fame induction, at the Venetian hotel (Marco Polo Room 701) on March 17. Also, SSI will host the 6th Annual Most Valuable Product (MVP) Awards.

AIREF Golf Classic

The Alarm Industry Research and Education Foundation will host its 17th Annual AIREF Golf Classic on March 17. Here, golfers participate in a casual outing with other industry professionals, all the while supporting the organization’s initiatives. The tournament will be held at the Las Vegas National Golf Course, located about 10 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, and includes breakfast and lunch. The event is the largest fundraiser for AIREF, a nonprofit organization that serves as the research arm of the electronic security industry. AIREF is engaged in initiatives critical to public safety, consumers and the alarm industry. Funds raised through the tournament will be funneled into initiatives that support workforce development efforts to attract more qualified talent to our growing and evolving industry. Register at airef.org/registration.

New Product Showcase

SIA will announce the recipients of its annual New Product Showcase (NPS) March 18 (3:30-4:30 p.m.). Established in 1979, each year the NPS program recognizes winners in several product and service categories along with the Judges Choice and Best New Product awards. There will be a special physical display area where installing security contractors and others can view each of the program’s entrants.

SIA InteropFest

SIA will host its annual networking function to showcase various efforts of its standards program. During the SIA InteropFest attendees can see how technology providers are incorporating interoperability into their devices by leveraging the Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP). The function, which includes a reception, will be held March 18, 4-7 p.m., at the Sands Convention Center (room Marco Polo 701). Attendance is free to ISC West attendees. Special guest speaker: Daryle Hernandez, chief, Interagency Security Committee, Department of Homeland Security, Infrastructure Security Division.

ISC West Customer Appreciation Party

Held March 19, 10:30-11:30 p.m., at the TAO Nightclub. All registered ISC West attendees and exhibitors enter free for a one-hour open bar. Required: photo ID and ISC West show badge.

ISC West Latin American Breakfast

Latin American Security Association (ALAS) invites all Latin American attendees to a continental breakfast March 19, 9-10 a.m., in Galileo 1001 at the Sands. The breakfast will include a panel discussion exploring trends and technologies ahead for the security industry. To join the breakfast, participants must be registered for ISC West.

Security 5K Run/2K Walk

March 19, 7:30-8:30 a.m. All proceeds generated by this annual fundraiser will be contributed to Mission 500, a nonprofit charitable organization focused on the security industry and dedicated to serving children and families in need across the United States. Shuttle bus transportation will be provided to and from the Sands Convention Taxi Ramp. The first shuttle bus will depart at 6 a.m. and the last one will depart at 7:10 a.m. Shuttle buses will also return to the Sands. An awards ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the Venetian Ballroom Theater. For more information and to register, visit mission500.org.

SIA RISE Happy Hour

RISE is a networking community that fosters the careers of young professionals in the security industry. Participation is available to all employees at SIA member companies who are under 40 years old or have been in the security industry for less than two years. The happy hour will be held March 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Topgolf Las Vegas. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/2Hrow9q.

Women in Security Forum Breakfast

Presented by ISC Security Events and the SIA Women in Security Forum, this March 20 (8:30-9:30 a.m.) networking event includes complementary breakfast and special guest speaker Jaime Paris Boisvert, general manager for Siemens’ smart infrastructure division. Venue: Sands Expo, Galileo Room 1001/1004. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/2UYwH53.

Themed Sections on the Exhibit Floor

A ceremony to commemorate the event and opening of the exhibition will be held March 18, 9:45 a.m., in the Keynotes room, following Charles Burns’ presentation. The ceremony will include a color guard and singing of the national anthem. Attendees will then begin entering the exhibit hall at 10 a.m. Set among the vast collection of vendors booths will be themed exhibit spaces. Here’s a descriptive rundown for each of the half-dozen themed show floor areas:

Connected Security will focus on building a holistic security strategy for the connected enterprise, including looking at how physical and IT security can be used together to mitigate new and emerging cyber threats in a hyper-connected world. Attendees can check out the latest products and information on cyber-hardening protections for physical assets, predictive and real-time services access, and cyber-physical convergence strategies and technology.

The Drones & Robotics area is where you can peruse and learn about the latest in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned ground robotics & vehicles (UGVs), counter-drone solutions and the various software and applications that support them. The expo addresses the opportunities to improve security & safety functionality with the use of UAVs and UGVs, the threats that counter-drone technologies can address to ensure public and defense safety, and policy and regulation progress and key trends.

Emerging Technology will feature the next generation of innovative products and solutions that are expected to help propel security and public safety. Highlighted will be more than 50 startup businesses — five years old or less — hailing from across the cyber-physical security landscape.

New for 2020, the Loss Prevention & Supply Chain area aims to address the convergence of physical and digital assets. According to ISC West organizers, nearly 70% of attending integrators and end-user audiences consider loss prevention and supply chain security solutions integral for their active projects. The new featured area emerged as the risks associated with transporting assets via intermodal transportation systems — trucks, trains, ships and planes —continues to grow, along with the inherent theft risks in retail and hospitality environments.

The Public Safety area will focus on solutions and services that are considered essential for protecting the homeland. A full range of solutions will be showcased, including barriers/bollards/gates/perimeter security, video surveillance, access control and alarms. You’ll also see innovative technologies for gunshot and drug detection, license plate recognition (LPR), acoustics, facial recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) and active shooter solutions and training.

For installing security contractors, as well as CE integrators, wanting to see the latest automation advances in the residential space, the Smart Home area is for you. The products and solutions there are said to reflect the rapid growth in the connected home market, providing renewed opportunities for modern alarm systems, locks and access control, video and perimeter security. The area also incorporates comprehensive solutions across connectivity and integration, energy and lighting, water/gas/smoke detection, and secure smart communication devices.

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