Though the arctic-like weather outside was quite frightful, the warm and friendly atmosphere inside was truly delightful during the PSA Security Network’s Annual Conference and Exhibition Feb. 5-9 at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver. PSA, whose systems integrator members design, sell, install and service CCTV, access control and integrated systems, is the largest electronic security cooperative in the world with more than $1 billion in electronic security and life safety installations.
The sold-out conference, said by many to be the best PSA has ever held, attracted more than 500 members, vendors, instructors, industry leaders and trade press representatives for a week of keynote speeches, seminars, hands-on classes, new product demonstrations, a trade show exhibition and a formal awards banquet.
“Without a doubt, this year’s PSA Conference was the best one we’ve ever had,” says Bill Bozeman, CPP, president and CEO of PSA. “The educational resources and the ability to network with our peers and key players made this an event not to be missed. The quality and high level of the PSA Conference is unmatched in the industry.”
Focusing on the business and technology of systems integration, classes included “Frontline Project Management,” “Integration Selling,” “Estimating for the Security Integrator,” “Advanced Access Control System Design” and “The Psychology of Successful Negotiating.”
The keynote speakers were Sal Lifrieri of Diversified Security Solutions and Lehman Brothers’ Jeff Kessler. Lifrieri, who served as the director of Security and Intelligence Operations for Mayor Rudolph Guiliani‘s Office of Emergency Management from 1996-2001, spoke on threat assessment and the consulting process. Kessler shared his insights on the business of security, financial outlooks and trends.
During the business meetings, which were attended by company owners, executives and managers, Security Sales & Integration Editor Scott Goldfine presented an overview of industry statistics, while Les Gold of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp addressed the current climate of mergers and acquisitions.
“Neither my own nasty cold nor the Mile-High City’s snowy cold could keep me from returning to the PSA Conference as an attendee, exhibitor and speaker,” says Goldfine. “The event is well organized and affords me an excellent opportunity to interact face to face with what are truly some of the best integrators in our industry.”
Social events included an opening-night mixer, an evening of vendor-hosted hospitality suites and the Vendor Appreciation Awards Banquet. The latter featured a guest speaker who was purportedly an airline security expert, but shocked many people in attendance when she turned out to be a raunchy comedienne.
Word has it that the PSA Conference, which was moved up a month this year (and into subzero and single-digit temperatures) to avoid conflicts with other industry events, may move to a new, larger venue next year.
