Simply the best

‘Simply the best,’ – what am I talking about? Well, it is the event that is quite simply, 'The UK’s commercial and residential security event'. It is designed to deliver exactly what it says on the tin, with the best that the UK can supply; the best technology, the best relationship with the police, the best opportunities for consultants, the best audience focused content and the best networking for the commercial and residential security market. What is this event? It is The Security Event at the NEC in Birmingham from 22-23 September 2020.

So, who is saying it is ‘the best?’ It’s not the organisers, they just want to put on an event which highlights innovation and delivers practical training and guidance in an environment that enables networking and visitors to benefit from other co-located events. It is those that attend, both exhibitors and visitors, and this is exemplified by what many have said.

Testimonials

“As a consultant having to keep on top of technological advances and solutions as well as the latest changes to legislation and best practice across the industry, I attend lots of conferences and exhibitions, this was by far the best for me. I came away learning new things, I got more meetings in three days than I had in the previous six months, I could compare solutions my customers needed, and the buzz was fantastic,” a Birmingham-based security consultant said.

“The Security Event was the only show that met our business requirements in the last few years. It is now the only international show that we will attend as a company,” said the managing director from a UK and Ireland security systems provider.

“An excellent event for both exhibitors and visitors alike. The event was well organised from start to finish and excellently marketed. It had a real buzz about it, and long may it continue,” said the marketing manager from the UK arm of a global security systems provider. 

That’s what visitors and exhibitors said last year but how is this turning into support for this year’s event?

Double the support

Last year there were 84 exhibitors and this year that has more than doubled with the organisers having to move The Security Event into a larger hall at the NEC, showing clear confidence from the exhibiting community. Speaking to the organisers they predict from pre-registration statistics that visitor numbers will easily double as well. 

“Based on this first year, we expect The Security Event to become the main security show for the UK within the next 2-3 years. The organisation and location were very good and the visitor profile exactly what we wanted,” said the sales director of a leading UK manufacturer.

Bigger and better content

We already know what exhibitors are likely to see: double the numbers from last year as pre-registration is up hugely. We know that the visibility of the Designing Out Crime team and the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime and Counter Terror Unit will be bigger as they aim to engage with more attendees. They will be part of the Designing Out Crime Zone run with the Secured by Design team, Police Digital Security Centre (PDSC), Alarms and Police Crime Police Academy (PCPA). This exciting feature will showcase the latest police techniques to reduce crime and keep local communities safe. This is a fantastic opportunity to listen to and influence best practice as part of this important national police crime prevention initiative.

We know visitors will be delivered a programme of presentations, seminars and education programmes keeping them up to date with the latest thinking, issues and developments across the security spectrum. The programmes are all free to attend and have been formally recognised by The Security Institute who have accredited CPD points for attending.  

Four theatres – the Innovation Theatre (sponsored by Honeywell), Security in Practice Theatre, Installer Theatre and Tavcom Training Theatre – will feature a rich programme of content. With each programme carefully designed to help visitors stay ahead of the curve by giving the opportunity to discover and learn about innovations impacting the security sector and the practicalities of how these should be specified, integrated and installed.  

Of course, standards, regulations and industry best practice are critical in any solution decision making and the Installer Theatre will ensure visitors have all they need to ensure their businesses remain compliant and are best equipped to meet the needs of their clients. And Tavcom will ensure the latest training opportunities and practices are outlined. The content programme has a definite see it, learn it, deliver it feel and will keep all who attend at the forefront of the business. 

A few points worth noting: Richard Jenkins from NSI delivering the opening session in the Installer Theatre; Honeywell are not just sponsoring the Tech and Innovation Theatre but will be giving real insights to their market thinking and development influencers; and the Security in Practice Theatre has some amazing speakers including:

• Andrew Schofield – Director of Technology at Reliance High Tech (Advanced Systems Integration Panel)
• Peter Ainsworth – VP Customer Experience Security Products – Johnson Controls (Advanced Systems Integration)
• Mark Neate – Executive Director, Environment, Safety & Security, Sellafield Ltd (Major Projects & Emerging Technologies)
• Anna Sliwon-Stewart, Senior Analyst & Research Manager, Security & Security & Building Technologies, IHS Markit (Ai in Security)
• Sarb Sembhi, Joint Co Vice-Chair, CTO & CISO, IoT Security Foundation Smart Buildings Group (Smart Buildings)

The more you look at how The Security Event is put together the more you begin to realise that it is an event developed with support from a group of the industry’s major players to deliver a world-class exhibition dedicated to UK security professionals, installers and integrators and it provides opportunities for direct engagement across the supply chain. It was designed by the industry for the industry and last year proved it delivered for the industry.

Prime location

One of the cries the industry was making for years was to get an event back in the West Midlands; Location, Location, Location is so important. 

The NEC, Birmingham provides The Security Event with the UK’s most accessible exhibition venue in the UK. With an international airport, mainline train station, easy access to the UK’s motorway network and over 16,500 car parking spaces, free for The Security Event visitors. The industry asked for an event at the NEC, The Security Event delivers it and wider support shows it is the number one option for both exhibitors and visitors alike.

However, recognising as an industry that we are not alone and have to work increasingly closely with facilities managers who also deliver health and safety and fire safety, the co-located Facilities, Health and Safety and Fire Safety Events give unrivalled cross fertilisation and networking opportunities.

This year's ‘The Security Event’ presents countless options for connecting with new and existing contacts and industry peers both onsite during the show or out of hours in the place the industry asked for. The free training and content, the free exposure to the latest technology and thinking, the ability to influence those Police organisations advising industry on solutions they need, the cross fertilisation with related disciplines all point to the most cost effective few days anyone in the industry can spend. Can you afford to miss it?

For more information and to register please visit: www.thesecurityevent.co.uk