ISC West 2018 focuses on physical security along with IoT and cloud-based solutions

Friday marked the closing day of ISC West 2018. ISC West, sponsored by the Security Industry Association (SIA), the largest converged security event of the year, experienced its biggest and most successful year to date.

On the heels of ISC West being named to Trade Show Executive’s Next 50 List for Attendance Growth in 2017, this year included a larger show floor with more exhibits than ever before (an additional 4K square feet from last year), growth in featured areas (Unmanned Security & Safety Expo sponsored by Knightscope, Connected Security Expo, Public Security & Safety Expo, and Connected Home sponsored by Alarm.com, plus the addition of the brand new Emerging Technology Zone that had 40 companies participate), 120+ new products displayed in SIA’s New Products Showcase, six percent growth in overall attendees and 10 percent growth of the coveted ISC Executive’s Club.  

Security education programme

This year, ISC West had the pleasure of offering over 85 sessions throughout the SIA Education@ISC programme, spanning a range of topics that impact security professionals across physical, IT and IoT security – from biometrics to drones to leadership skills.The enthusiasm of our attendees, loyal returning exhibiting companies and the 250 new exhibiting companies inspire us to put on the best show"

Some of the most highly-attended sessions were Access Control and Video in the Cloud, The Evolution of Credentials and their Use in the IT, OT, and Physical Security Environment, Connected Home – The Future is Now, and The Future of Physical Security: The Decade Ahead. Providing comprehensive education is one of the cornerstones of ISC West, and more attendees are leveraging these offerings each year, learning from one another and networking with their peers.

“Another successful year in the books,” said Sherida Sessa, Industry Vice President of ISC Security Events at Reed Exhibitions. “The enthusiasm of our attendees, loyal returning exhibiting companies and the 250 new exhibiting companies continue to inspire us to put on the best show we can. We’re so pleased with the turnout and want to formally thank everyone – attendees, exhibitors, speakers, our media partners and sponsors, and most importantly, SIA, for helping to make this year the biggest and best show we’ve had yet.”

Re-inventing cybersecurity

This year’s keynotes were unparalleled. Each one had a packed house, with Dr. Douglas Maughan of the Department of Homeland Security explaining how the DHS Science and Technology (S&T) is re-inventing cybersecurity, and Jeff Crume, Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor, IT Security Architect at IBM talking about the dark side of the IoT.ISC West 2018 featured the SIA Women in Security Forum to mentor and empower other females to enter the industry

ISC West 2018 also had several special events on the agenda, including the 23rd SAMMY Awards hosted by Security Sales & Integration, honouring dealers and integrators for their sales, marketing, business and installation excellence; tours of the new Emerging Technology Zone to showcase next-generation products on the market; SIA’s New Products Showcase awards ceremony, where over 120 product entries were pitched to leading industry experts and winners were selected in nearly 30 categories; the Security 5K Run/2K Walk, where all proceeds were donated to Mission 500, a non-profit charitable organisation focused on the security industry and dedicated to serving children and families in need across the U.S.; the SIA RISE Happy Hour and SIA Autonomous Security Robotics Reception where security industry professionals had the chance to network with each other; and the inaugural committee meeting of the SIA Women in Security Forum, a place for women to engage, mentor and empower other females to enter the industry. 

Business impact

“There’s nothing better than hearing someone on the show floor say, ‘ISC West is like the Super Bowl of security events',” said Will Wise, group vice president of the ISC security portfolio.

“At the end of the day, it’s so rewarding knowing that exhibitors and attendees – from end-users to integrators to dealers/installers to consultants and engineers – feel that ISC West made a measurable business impact for them. We’re looking forward to the Cyber: Secured Forum in Denver in June and are already setting our sights on ISC East in New York City in November!”