07.01.2009
The Electronic Security Expo (ESX), owned by the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) and National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA), today released preliminary figures showing strong growth for the second year of the annual event. Exhibit space and total attendance at the event both grew more than 25 percent vs. 2008 -- 148 exhibiting and sponsoring companies filled just shy of 50,000 gross square feet of space, and more than 2,100 industry professionals attended the event, including roughly half of the 100 largest installing and monitoring companies in the nation.

"In a tough year for the economy and almost any kind of event, we are thrilled to have grown ESX substantially in both vendor support and turnout," said ESX Expo Chair, George De Marco. "A standing room only keynote address, crowded special events like the NBFAA Weinstock & Jackson Awards ceremony and reception, the CSAA Central Station Excellence Awards Breakfast, the ESX Ice Breaker Luncheon and the ESX Big Bash, and well attended seminars throughout the ESX program demonstrate the ESX concept is taking hold."

Exhibitors were pleased with the quality of the attendees, rebooking the equivalent of 66% of the show floor space reserved in 2009 for the 2010 event, and better than tripling their priority period bookings of sponsorships for 2010.

• Platinum sponsors for 2010 include the CentraLarm Group of Companies, ESC Central and Honeywell.
• Gold sponsors for 2010 include ADI, DSC, Risco Group, Security America Risk Retention Group and Uplink.
• SureView Systems will again be the Exhibit Hall Sponsor
• ESX Seminar Track Sponsors for 2010 include Honeywell, SurGard and Videofied
• ESX Big Bash sponsors for 2010 include ADI, Brink's Home Security and Security America Risk Retention Group
• Other 2010 sponsors include: DMP, Optex, OzVision, Rapid Response and WYNIT, Inc.

Hundreds of industry professionals attended the 100+ ESX seminars and exhibitor-offered training sessions Mon. through Thu. The Next Generation Monitoring Boot Camp, sponsored by SureView Systems, was particularly well-received .

Conference attendee praise included the following:

• "Tracking Job Costs" delivered by John Brady - Excellent speaker with real hands on experience - practical information.
• "Wanted, Good Employees, Long-Term Relationship Desired" delivered by Dan Budinoff - Was an HR manager for two years at my company and still am very involved in recruiting and the class still gave me good info to use at the company. Good tips and practical guide.
• "Focusing Sales for Effectiveness, Service Agreements" delivered by Alan Kruglak - Very good! Kept me interested, lots of info I can take back to work.
• "Your Company on Trial!" by Jeff Zwirn - Awesome! Gave a lot of thought provoking information.
• "Ways to Help Minimize Your Liability When Providing Central Station Monitoring Services" by Jeff Zwirn - Excellent speaker, enthusiastic, passionate, knowledgeable. Best class and presenter of the whole expo! Top notch - thanks for including him as a presenter.
• "Leveraging Analytics for Remote Video Monitoring" by Charlie Pierce - Powerful speaker, great motivator, made course very interesting.

The ESX Ice Breaker Luncheon produced a highlight on Tue. June 23. Featured speaker, James Johnson, Chief of Police for Baltimore, Maryland, provided one of the most positive endorsements for private security ever provided by a public safety official, characterizing the private security industry as a partner in fighting crime and calling for an expansion of mandates for high-quality video surveillance in retail and banking.

Keynote speaker, General Electric Chief Security Officer, Francis X. Taylor, offered an inside look at the goals and concerns of a Fortune 100 head of security, including tips on how integration companies can put themselves in a better position to win work from such companies by focusing on integrated solutions.

Musical artist Jonathan McEuen entertained ESX attendees at the ESX Big Bash and later in the evening with an acoustic set performed at the final destination of the ESX Crawl.

ESX 2010 will take place June 14-18 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA.