The clocks have been turned forward, baseball is in the air, and my normally pristine black car is covered in a heavy dusting of pollen making it a bright shade of yellow (southerners know what I’m talking about). Spring is definitely in the air, and forget about Christmas time — for security professionals, this is the best time of the year.
As I write this, I am making my final preparations for ISC West, the true “jumping off point” of the year for many of us, whether you are a security dealer, integrator, distributor, vendor or, ahem, trade journalist. Spring marks the beginning of trade show season, and dealers/integrators will see several major and minor events on their calendars in the coming months.
These are some terrific ways to network, learn, get training and of course an opportunity to get hands-on with some of the latest technologies the industry has to offer. Not only that, trade shows are an important chance to guide your customers through the latest technologies and vendors, and yes, skilled networking will help you find new customers as well. Whether you are an owner, manager or technician, there is something out there for you.
“To continue achieving excellence, we promote, support and facilitate ongoing training with our employees,” says Robbie Danko, Marketing Manager for Minneapolis, Minn.-based Low Voltage Contractors. “The only way individuals and organizations can continue to improve is by constantly working to improve their personal, professional and technical knowledge.”
Even if your budget or time doesn’t allow travel, there are plenty of distance learning opportunities available — all you need is a good Google search.
Of course, when you read this, ISC West will have already happened. If you were there, hopefully you got in some great networking and education. As far as news, whether you attended or not, you can catch up on anything you missed on SecurityInfoWatch — visit www.securityinfowatch.com/isc-west. SD&I will also feature the biggest news from ISC in our May issue.
By the same token, I will be at PSA TEC in May (more on that conference on page 58); and ESX in June, and will be providing live tweets and coverage.
Consult our upcoming industry events calendar for the hottest opportunities this spring and beyond. The key is to take advantage! Don’t let another trade show season come and go without making the most if it.
UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS
April 19-21
False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA) Symposium, Austin, TX
http://faraonline.org/members-info/symposium
April 26-28
CABA Intelligent Buildings & Digital Home Forum, San Diego
www.caba.org/CABA
April 27-28
ASIS NYC Conference & Expo, New York
http://asisnyc.org/events/conference-expo
May 4-7
2016 CAA Convention,
Palm Springs, CA
www.caaonline.org/2016-palm-springs-convention
May 9-12
PSA TEC, Westminster, CO
www.psatec.com
May 17-19
Affiliated Monitoring Catalyst PERS Sales/Marketing Conference, Naples, FL
http://catalyst2016.splashthat.com
June 8-10
ESX 2016, Ft. Worth, TX
www.esxweb.com
June 13-16
NFPA Conference & Expo, Las Vegas
www.nfpa.org/training/conferences/conference
June 15-17
SIA Government Summit 2016, Washington, D.C.
www.siaonline.org
