Industry News & Trends

May 13, 2009

Get Ready for ESX 2009

With the 2009 Electronic Security Expo (ESX) coming up shortly, key industry professionals are already filling up their calendars with daily events, educational sessions and presentations and just plain fun.

Scheduled for June 22 through 26 in Baltimore, last year’s inaugural show logged some 2,000 attendees. Advance attendee registrations are nearly triple the registrations received during the time frame for the 2008 event. John Galante, president of AE Ventures, producers of ESX, also agreed that this year’s turnout is already way ahead of last year’s show, thanks to a number of key factors which include a larger show floor at the Baltimore Convention Center; more conference offerings including advanced educational sessions for attendees, installers and integrators; and an expected increase of day-to-day attendees, based on Baltimore’s close proximity to major metropolitan areas in the East.

Following the educational track

A main topic of discussion for this year’s ESX regards the youth movement that the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association and the Central Station Alarm Association are working to put in effect for 2009 and following shows to come.

“We wanted to address programming that would appeal to upcoming leaders,” said Galante.

The new leaders track is designed as a type of survival guide for newly promoted managers and teaches fundamentals of project and people management, applicable for new or promoted managers or companies in security.

Finally, the NBFAA is using ESX as the launch platform for its Young Security Professionals (YSP) Group, in which NBFAA is hosting receptions, meetings and special presentations for YSPs at ESX.

All Star Hosts

Chief Financial Officers, Jeff Hoffman and Ralph Masino from this year’s All Star Host companies, ASG Security and Vector Security, are presenting unique information on key performance indicators, Wednesday June 24 from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. The course covers business metrics that focus on job profitability and other facets of a healthy installation business.

Notifier Offers Mass Notification/Gas Detection Seminars

There are a wide range of mass notification solutions available today, some of which are UL listed for life safety and others that are not—a difference that all facility managers and building owners should fully understand.

Notifier, Northford, Conn., manufacturer of engineered fire alarm systems and part of the Honeywell Fire Systems Group, will be hosting a series of free, half-day seminars for anyone responsible for the design, selection and operation of fire and life safety systems in commercial, educational, industrial, retail, healthcare and hospitality facilities. Attendees will learn how changing mass notification codes and advancing gas detection technologies will impact them. Notifier’s life safety seminars will address the evolving codes and standards applicable to mass notification and its integral role as part of a comprehensive life safety solution. Participants will learn what type of systems and technologies will best suit their properties. The seminars will also demonstrate how gas detection can provide an added level of protection. Seminars will be held in New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Charlotte, Oakland, Houston, Orlando and Atlanta. For more information, visit www.notifier.com.

PBFAA Sponsors 2009 ESX

The Pennsylvania Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (PBFAA) is sponsoring this year’s ESX show, co-located with its annual exhibition which annually draws approximately 200 owner/operators and top management decision makers from Pennsylvania’s installing and monitoring companies for two days of education and networking. PBFAA will also host a Board of Directors meeting and a special general membership meeting on Thursday June 25, which will provide an update on state licensing issues during ESX.

2009 CALENDAR

Send conference, meeting and expo event announcements via e-mail to: [email protected].

JUNE

4
Northeast Security & Systems Contractors Expo (NEACC)
The Royal Plaza Trade Center
Marlborough, Mass.
Visit www.neacc.org

8
Paragon Technology Expo 2009
University of Minnesota
Visit www.paragontechexpo.com

8-11
NFPA Conference & Expo
McCormick Place, Chicago
Visit www.nfpa.org

9 – 11
GSA Expo
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
San Antonio, Texas
Visit expo.gsa.gov

22-26

ESX Expo
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Md.
Visit www.esxweb.com

JULY
28-30

America’s Fire & Security Expo (AFSE)
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach, Fla.
Visit www.americasfireandsecurity.com

SEPTEMBER

10-13

CEDIA Expo
Georgia World Congress CenterAtlanta, Ga.
Visit www.cedia.net

21-24

ASIS
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, Calif.
Visit www.asisonline.org

OCTOBER

23-27

PSA Convention
Frenchman’s Reef Marriott
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Visit www.psasecurity.com

The ABCs of Growing Your Business as a New UL Central Station

Scheduled for June 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Baltimore Convention Center, this half-day workshop discusses the benefits and requirements of a various Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listings for central stations. Attendees will learn how to prepare for a UL evaluation, when to apply and where to get answers to questions that arise throughout the process. Other key points addressed will focus on building configuration and equipment used that could provide up-front cost savngs. The course will be taught by Peter Tallman, section manager UL.

“There are several hundred central station operators who could benefit from the distinction and discipline associated with a UL listing,” said John Lombardi, president of CIA Security, Fishkill, N.Y., and chairman of the ESX Program Advisory Committee. “This session offers a way to concisely review both the advantages and resource requirements of pursuing a listing.”

Listen Up-Who’s Speaking at ESX

Francis X. Taylor, vice president and chief security officer, General Electric Company (GE), will provide the morning keynote address for ESX on June 24 at 10 a.m. on the topic of “Local Solutions for Global Security Threats.” SD&I magazine Publisher Carol Enman will introduce Taylor, and offer insights into the growing industry and its current and future directions.

James Johnson, Baltimore County Police Chief will be a featured speaker at the ESX Industry Icebreaker luncheon on June 23rd at 12:15 p.m. Chief Johnson will explain his motivation for advocating broader deployment of video.

Paragon Sponsors IP-Centric Conference

Paragon Solutions Group Inc., Corcoran, Minn., is sponsoring a free, comprehensive one-day technical conference on June 8 in the Twin Cities, presenting more than two dozen IP- and IT-centric topics.

“The Paragon Technology Expo 2009 has been taken to a new, higher level with this conference, in an effort to address the growing area of IP installations and convergence,” said Todd Vojta, president of Paragon Solutions Group. “Some of the premiere sponsors include Milestone Systems, Axis Communications, Open Options, Anixter, Identica and Agent Vi,” Vojta said.

Technology Expo 2009 events will be held at the impressive McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota campus. Topics on compression, IP communications and storage will dominate the program, which includes a keynote speaker, table top exposition and drawings for prizes. The conference runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information and to register online visit www.paragontechexpo.com or contact Todd Vojta at (763)463-5000 or [email protected].

ESX Boot Camp

Sponsored by Sureview Systems, the ESX Next Generation Monitoring Boot Camp held on Monday, June 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. will provide a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and requirements for launching next generation monitoring and remote management services. Among some of the topics of discussion at the booth camp include: services that can be provided; technical design requirements for implementing specific services; central station staffing and training requirements; getting started in developing a plan for next generation monitoring; and more. Registration for the boot camp is $95 for individuals who purchase an ESX Expo conference pass for the ESX seminar program or $295 for standalone registration.

Notifier continues to educate the installing integrator on the changing world of mass communications and emergency notification products, presenting technical classes.