Are your ISC West air flight and lodging plans cemented? Packing list drafted? Co-workers primed to assume additional duties while you are away? Extended business travel can be hectic enough without the added chore of concocting an itinerary on the fly when you reach your destination.

Proper preparation before departure will make your business trip more productive. That’s why we’ve prepared an overview of the big security show in Las Vegas to help make what is sure to be a whirlwind excursion a successful one.

Produced by Reed Exhibitions and exclusively sponsored by the Security Industry Association (SIA), ISC West 2019 will be held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center April 9-12.

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 more than 1,000 exhibitors, showcasing products, technologies and services from across the physical and logical security landscape.

A comprehensive educational program aims to prepare attendees to contend with cyber-physical security threats in today’s complex security landscape.

What follows is a conference overview, filled with the details you need to strategically plan your daily itinerary.

SIA Education@ISC, PSA Security Curriculum

Organizers of the SIA Education@ISC program have assembled more than 85 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. SIA will also conduct its Security Project Management (SPM) Training Seminar April 8-10 at the Sands Expo.

The program is aimed at integrators, installers and end users who manage security projects to get a full understanding of the process of how a project works from start to finish.

As part of the SPM training, attendees receive takeaway materials to help prepare for success on future projects. Following the training seminar, SIA will administer the certification exam for the Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM) credential.

Installers and tool geeks won’t want to miss SSI’s long-time “Tech Talk” columnist, Bob Dolph, presenting “50 Tools in 50 Minutes” on April 11. Dolph will highlight just some of his favorite tool applications that have been featured in “Tools of the Month,” which is included each month in his column.

PSA Security Network is hosting a six-session track on April 9 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 “Building a Culture of Accountability,” which will feature a panel of integrator executives discussing how they work with their employees to be more engaged and to take ownership.

Boucherle, who is a 2019 SSI Industry Hall of Fame inductee, will also be a panelist for the session, “Succession Planning: Hiring, Retaining, and Developing Teams to Keep Your Business Running Smoothly.”

PSA Security Network President and CEO Bill Bozeman will lead the session, “RMR: Transforming the Security Integrator.” Bozeman will explain why an RMR component is crucial to achieving long-term monthly income that can be generated from service contracts, remote monitoring services, among other automated features and components that end users increasingly desire and expect. The session will also inform end users about the advantages of having ongoing support and smooth, reliable operation of their systems.

This year the ISC West Keynote Series will feature a presentation by Russ Butler, who serves as vice president of security for the San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium. Butler will review some of the recent security threats, challenges and encounters his department has faced, while providing insights and perspectives on where stadium security is heading.

A second keynote will feature William N. Bryan, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology (DHS), discuss the advances in mobility, machine learning and autonomous technologies that provide new capabilities to build resilience capacity and reduce risks.

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

Awards, Goings-on & Assn. Gatherings

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 24th 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 April 9. View the 2019 Hall of Fame inductees here.

You can learn more about the SAMMYs and this year’s finalists here. Also, SSI will host the 5th Annual Most Valuable Product (MVP) Awards. Learn more about the program in the sidebar.

AIREF Golf Classic

The Alarm Industry Research and Education Foundation will host its 16th annual AIREF Golf Classic on April 9. 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 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 from this year’s tournament will be funneled into public relations, education and outreach efforts to spotlight the electronic security industry as an outlet of choice for the next generation of employees.

Register at airef.org or email premes@airef.org.

New Product Showcase

SIA will announce the recipients of its annual New Product Showcase (NPS) April 10. 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. “The array of NPS award categories and definitions reflect the advancements and evolution of new security technologies and tools,” says Chris Grniet, SIA NPS committee chair. “We look forward to reviewing the 2019 award entries, representing the best of the best in the industry.”

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 April 10, 4-6:30 p.m., at the Sands Convention Center (Marco Polo Room 701). Attendance is free to ISC West attendees. For more information, contact Joe Gittens at jgittens@securityindustry.org.

Security 5K Run/2K Walk

April 11, 7:30-8:30 a.m. All proceeds generated by this annual fundraiser will be contributed to Mission 500, a non-profit charitable organization focused on the security industry and dedicated to serving children and families in need across the United States. Registration will be held at the ISC West registration area on level 1 at the convention center. Shuttles to the race course (Sunset Park Trail) are available from the Sands Expo lower level.

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 April 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Rockhouse Bar. For more information, contact Bryan Miller at bmiller@securityindustry.org.

ISC West Customer Appreciation Party

Held April 11, 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.

Keep reading to see what you can find on the show floor…

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