GSX: What’s in Store at the Event Formerly Known as ASIS

ASIS Int’l will host its rebranded Global Security Exchange in Las Vegas, Sept. 23-27. Here’s an overview of the education agenda, networking events and more.

August 11, 2018 CS Staff Jump to Comments

GSX: What’s in Store at the Event Formerly Known as ASIS

The Global Security Exchange (GSX) will be co-located with Cyber Security Summit and is expected to attract more than 20,000 security professionals and industry stakeholders to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Earlier this year when ASIS Int’l revealed new branding for its flagship conference, the annual Seminar and Exhibits, the organization declared the move signified a “commitment to unite the full spectrum of security.”

That commitment is said to address issues critical to all sectors of the global marketplace and its respective practitioners and end customers.

The 20,000+ security professionals that are expected to descend upon the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 23-27, will be the final judge whether or not the newly named Global Security Exchange (GSX) achieves such a lofty declaration.

Now in its 64^thyear, this continuing reinvention of the conference began last year with a revamped lineup of top networking events, among other modifications, intended to enhance the attendee experience.

More than a name change, the 2018 installment arrives with an overhauled exhibition floor and educational programming that accounts for advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, cyber threats and other market-disrupting forces.

In the following event preview, we’ll dive into the educational programming and other goings-on to help you make the best use of your time at the show.

Reimagined Exhibit Floor

Attendees will peruse an exhibit floor with wares and services by more than 500 vendors from across the globe. In preparation for GSX, organizers say they rethought the configuration of previous exhibitions, with this year’s exhibit hall billed as being transformed into a “learning lab environment.”

Featured will be myriad security products, technologies and service solutions, along with “immersive learning opportunities” intended to connect the current threat landscape, as well as emerging risks, with leading solutions available in the marketplace.

Themed show floor attractions include:

X Learning Theaters:

X Stage — highlights innovative technologies and their impacts across the industry, examining innovations like blockchain and cryptocurrencies, AI, drones and robotics, social media and more;
Xcelerated Exchange Stage — intended to facilitate critical discussions between practitioners and solution providers to proactively address the current and future security landscape
Xperience Stage — showcases case studies and best practices that address security challenges facing practitioners across all industry sectors, including active shooter scenarios, bullying in the healthcare industry, and the risks associated with hosting a public event at cultural institutions.

Career HQ (new career fair and enhanced career center):

Job seekers will have access to resume reviews, a headshot studio, career coaching, professional development sessions and networking opportunities with employers and peers at no cost.

D3 Xperience (drones, droids, defense):

Supported by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Int’l (AUVSI), D3 aims to provide an immersive learning experience focused on the impact of unmanned systems on the security industry. Education and demos will showcase the emerging technology around the use of drones, droids and counter-UAV defense systems.

Also, vendors that have submitted wares and services to compete in the 2018 Innovative Product Awards program will be highlighted on the InfraGard and GSX show floor. Plus, the exhibit floor will house an International Trade Center and the ASIS Hub, which includes access to ASIS Council representatives, live streaming interviews and fireside chats.

“We have completely re-engineered GSX to provide more opportunities for security practitioners, solution providers, students, military and first responders. From Career HQ and the International Trade Center to our three unique theaters of education and live demos, attendees and exhibitors will find tremendous value in our immersive, engaging and informative expo hall,” states Richard E. Chase, CPP, PCI, PSP, the 2018 president of ASIS Int’l.

Educational Programming, Keynotes

The educational programming at GSX has been produced in partnership with InfraGard, a nonprofit organization that serves as a public-private partnership between U.S. businesses and the FBI, and the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA).

The curriculum will include case studies, lectures, mock trials, panels, simulations and workshops. Also on tap, a focus on Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM), with education sessions ranging from pre-conference workshops to practical presentations that are billed as a means to bring this business strategy to the day-to-day workplace.

Following are just some of the topics to be offered as part of GSX programming:

Securing Big Data in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape
How Augmented and Virtual Reality Affect Security
Ransomware: Managing Data Extortion Crises
School Emergency Preparedness Using a Tabletop Exercise
The Dark Web: Protecting Brand, Reputation, and Assets
Surviving a Mass Shooting: Case Studies in Successful Tactics and Techniques
The Psychology of Radicalization in the Lone-Actor Terrorist: Making Sense of the Senseless

“This has been a record-setting year,” says Nancy Green, ASIS Int’l vice president of learning. “We received a staggering 700+ proposals to our GSX 2018 call for presentations, and our program lineup features more than 300 sessions led by ASIS, InfraGard, and ISSA subject matter experts.”

This year a special installment of the Cyber Security Summit, held annually in Minneapolis, will be co-located at GSX in an effort to expand the breadth of cyber education. Presented Sept. 26-27, the Summit will bring together top government, industry and academia thought leaders to exchange ideas and engage in a dialogue to improve the state of cybersecurity.

The co-located offering is said to provide a review of cyber-related events that transpired during the past year, an update on current cyber trends, as well as a preview of what organizations need to prepare for in the future.

Among the Summit’s numerous session titles is Cultural Barriers & Divides between Physical & Cybersecurity; How Physical Vulnerabilities Can Be Used to Facilitate Cyber Attacks; and, ROI and Risk-Based Cybersecurity Investment.

“When it was founded in 2011, the Cyber Security Summit was among the first national events to highlight the challenges posed by cyber threats,” Chase says. “The inclusion of this event is a significant value-add to an already record-breaking conference program.”

In keeping with its practice of bringing in high profile keynote speakers, this year ASIS Int’l has contracted with Fareed Zakaria, global thinker, columnist and CNN host, and futurist and technology visionary Scott Klososky.

Zakaria, host of CNN’s Peabody Award-winning “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” is former editor-at-large of Time magazine and one of Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers. On Sept. 24 (8:30-10 a.m.) he will examine the forces, developments and risks affecting the global community, according to an announcement. His remarks will encompass cyber threats, once-local crime syndicates that have now metastasized over whole regions and continents, global expansion and outsourcing, and more.

Some of you may have caught Klososky’s well-attended ASIS 2017 presentation, “The Technology Integration of Man.” He’s back again (Sept. 25, 8:30-10 a.m.), having built upon his continued involvement with CSOs and ASIS stakeholders in the past year, to address the impact of today’s rapid digital transformation on security management and leadership. Klososky is scheduled to present a compelling case for managing and using technology — and knowing when not to use it — to gain a competitive advantage and lead successfully into the future.

Keynote speakers for the mornings of Sept. 26 & 27 are yet to be announced.

GSX Networking Activities to Consider

Of course, an event such as GSX affords security professionals a prime opportunity to establish and foster important connections with industry brethren and other stakeholders. Here’s a glance at the main networking events scheduled for this year’s conference:

ASIS Foundation Golf Tournament — Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., at Bali Hai Golf Club, near the Las Vegas Strip. The entry fee includes breakfast, player gifts and a buffet lunch. Tournament proceeds benefit the ASIS Foundation and its mission to advance the security profession.

Opening Night Celebration — Sept. 23, 7-10 p.m., at Brooklyn Bowl/The LINQ. Relaxed social setting with food, music and more. Open to all attendees and exhibitors; tickets required.

Outstanding Security Performance Awards Luncheon — Sept. 24, noon-1:30 p.m. The U.S. OSPAs are part of a global awards organization currently running in eight countries and designed to recognize and reward outstanding performance within the security sector. For more information on the awards and judging, visit us.theospas.com.

ASIS Happy Hour in the Exhibit Hall — Sept. 25, 4:30-5:30 p.m. An interactive event “designed to increase your connections.” Complimentary drinks.

President’s Reception — Sept. 26, 7-10 p.m. at Drai’s Nightclub, offering a fantastic view of the famous Las Vegas Strip and beyond from the 11th story capstone of the Cromwell hotel. Open to all attendees and exhibitors; tickets required.

For complete event information, visit gsx.org.

The above article originally ran in Campus Safety’s sister publication, Security Sales & Integration.

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