13 Apr 2022

Editor Introduction

Arriving at ISC West 2022, it seemed almost as if the last three years hadn't happened. The vibe and the energy seemed just as heightened as in 2019, and it was almost as if the show had somehow gained momentum during the pandemic downtime. For additional insights, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How was ISC West? What surprised you the most?


Kyle Hurt Genetec, Inc.

This year’s ISC West was filled with positivity and optimism. Customers, systems integrators, and manufacturers were genuinely happy to be back doing business in person, and there was a palpable sense of optimism. The Genetec booth was buzzing with activity, and we were pleasantly surprised that the show really felt more like pre-pandemic times when attendees were spilling over into the aisles. Thankfully, this year we had a larger space to accommodate our guests, which also allowed us to showcase additional new offerings and engage comfortably with customers and prospects.

David Sullivan AMAG Technology, Inc.

It was great to be back at ISC West this year. Honestly, the show floor was jam-packed, and it was inspiring to see that things seemed to be back to normal. We had great discussions with other manufacturers, integrators, and publications, and it was clear to see the major security trends at play. Many cloud-based and data-driven solutions were on display, as well as lots of talk about the new recurring monthly revenue (RMR) for integrators. Overall, it was a great show, and it's wonderful to be back.

Although it may not have been quite as big as the pre-pandemic shows, it’s safe to say that ISC West is back. We were very pleased with the good turnout. After three years of COVID keeping people apart, it was refreshing and rewarding to re-connect, or even to connect in person for the first time with people you had only seen on a screen. We were also pleasantly surprised by the depth of discussions, a testament to how much people were hungry to see innovation and new solutions live rather than behind a pane of glass. There is just a different quality to face-to-face discussions, which is why we will surely be back next year. We expect the show to remain a catalyst for faster business progress and innovation going forward.

ISC West was great this year. It was so exciting to see attendance going back to 2019 levels. We thoroughly appreciated the renewed opportunity to meet with customers and partners face-to-face. We won two awards including the prestigious Judges’ Choice Award at New Products and Solutions Awards, which was the icing on the cake. The security industry is facing an entirely new set of challenges in a post-COVID environment, such as guard shortages. It was exciting to see technologies like artificial intelligence becoming the main talking points at the show in response to those challenges.

Chris Meiter Salient Systems

The show went really well. The attendance was excellent, as was the caliber and interest of individuals who were there, and the opportunities that we came away with. Our team did an excellent job setting up a lot of meetings. Our calendars were completely full, and we even had to extend meeting space in our booth. We had meetings not only with key partners, but also a good complement of end-users. We were able to show existing end users what is new with our product, as well as meet potential new end users with very large opportunities. I was very pleased with this year’s event. I like to use this analogy, if the show starts at 10 am on Wednesday morning, and 3 hours later it's noon on Friday, it’s a great show – and that's what it felt like.


Editor Summary

Our Expert Panelists mention some of the predominant themes at the show -- artificial intelligence (AI) and recurring monthly revenue (RMR), as examples – but their biggest observation is that the industry has returned to pre-pandemic normalcy and enthusiasm. The success of ISC West certainly bodes well for the prospects of the security marketplace in 2022 and beyond.