ESX show to provide inspiration, education and technology

ESX is designed to provide information and knowledge alarm companies can’t get at any other event

For those of you who have been honky-tonking the last several years during the ESX Show, there’s a new game in town – as the annual educational, exhibits and networking event moves to Baltimore, Md., June 24 to 26, and the excitement of the Inner Harbor.

Focused and futuristic

Celebrating its eighth year, ESX focuses on peer-to-peer education and strategies – with this year’s theme designed to help professionals “run, grow and maximise their businesses, as well as rethink the future.” The show is jointly owned and sponsored by the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), and is promoted as the only major national show focusing exclusively on the needs of electronic security integration community and monitoring companies.

Last year in Nashville, the show hosted over 2,000 security industry companies and their personnel as well as central station owners, while some 200 exhibitors participated in the event. With the change in venue, ESX 2015 is expected to drive participation by more owners, managers and technicians from up and down the east coast of the U.S. ESX has stayed primarily in Nashville, with one prior event in 2009 held in Baltimore.

Embracing innovation in the security industry

Marshall Marinace, president and chief executive officer of ESA and the president of Marshall Alarm Systems Corp., in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., says the event is designed to provide information and knowledge alarm companies can’t get at any other event, and the time away from the office is well spent. “We are all extremely busy running our businesses and balancing our personal lives. However, sometimes you need to push the ‘pause button’ and take a step back for a few days. ESX is the perfect event to attend as it will enable you to clear your head for a moment, take in all that is happening in the industry outside of your business, and head back to the office inspired and motivated to continuously improve your operation.” ESA has some 2,500 member companies in its ranks.

New on this year’s exhibit floor is the ESX Innovation Awards Showcase, where attendees will be able to take a look at winning products and services all in one place. The ESX 2015 Innovation Awards (previously known as Maximum Impact Awards) honour industry products and services for their innovative design or application and how well the product or service helps security and life safety professionals run, grow, and maximise their businesses, as well as rethink the future. 

Motivational keynote

“If you have not been to an ESX event yet, 2015 is the perfect year to change that,” Marinace continues. “The Opening Keynote will be presented by Retired U.S. Army Special Forces Officer Major General James ‘Greg’ Champion, who will talk about how leadership is a 24/7 job. Champion will share stories from both his civilian and military life that exemplify the concept of leading by example. I’m certainly looking forward to his presentation and the work that ESA Gives Back is undertaking to support the Green Beret Foundation, an organisation that Champion previously served as Chairman. ESA’s insurance company, Security America Risk Retention Group, is sponsoring this keynote and making it possible to deliver what is sure to be an educational and inspiring presentation,” he says.

ESX educational sessions are tailored to the security industry and include these four tracks for 2015:

1. Run Your Company – insights and methods from other business owners sprinkled with best practices and tips and tactics.
2. Grow Your Business – fine-focus on brand building, increasing revenue and RMR, with tangible go-to-market strategies.
3. Maximise Your Central Station – information on cloud-based services, training, vital monitoring processes and more.
4. Rethink the Future – opportunities, threats, emerging trends and new products, technologies and services.

Registration is currently open for the event, with early signup discounts available.