After a couple of postponements in the hopes of staging an in-person event, show producers for ISC West announced its transition to a virtual security event, now scheduled for Oct. 5-7, which CE Pro reported last month.
For integrators in the security market, that annual showcase is among the many industry tradeshows that have been impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic this year. With all of the reshuffling and shifting to virtual platforms announced, ISC West is one of several virtual events security integrators have to look forward to this fall.
Here’s a glimpse at more online shows and summits for your calendars (check with individual associations for more details and registration):
Global Security Exchange Plus (GSX+)
ASIS International recently announced its educational lineup for Global Security Exchange Plus (GSX+) 2020, taking place Sept. 21-25 in a virtual format.
The educational slate includes more than 100 scheduled and on-demand sessions, organized into five subject matter areas. Through GSX+, attendees can earn up to 25 CPEs. Attendees with an All-Access pass will be able to access GSX+ sessions through Dec. 31.
“With GSX+, security professionals from across the globe can learn, network and connect with the latest ideas and technologies in the security management space,” says Mark Schreiber, CPP, GSX+ 2020 Call for Presentations Selection Committee chair.
“This year has presented much disruption and some unique challenges for security professionals everywhere, and our committee has worked extremely hard to curate and develop the most informative educational lineup, while addressing the practical needs of global security management professionals — by security professionals for security professionals. This is a process that has been months in the making, and we continually adapted to address those subjects that resulted from the new environment we all find ourselves in.”
The GSX+ session lineup is billed as addressing “the most pressing topics vital to today’s security professional.” The five subject matter areas include National Security, Physical and Operational Security, Risk Management, Digital Transformation/Information Security, and Leadership and Managing within Organizations.
Keynote presentations include:
- Retired Four-Star Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal will address the topic, Leading in a New World. Taking lessons from his crisis management and strategic operations playbook, McChrystal will provide practical and actionable guidance on what it takes to lead successfully in a rapidly shifting world landscape.
- Keren Elazari, CISSP, a former hacker turned cybersecurity expert whose 2014 TED Talk has been viewed nearly a million times, will discuss The Future of Cybersecurity, addressing how the topic has evolved from protecting our secrets to becoming our way of life. Elazari will shed light on emerging security threats, attackers’ techniques, what we can learn from hackers, and practical ideas on how to build a safe future for any type of organization seeking to maintain business as normal in unprecedented times.
The Monitoring Association Annual Meeting & Ops-Tech
The Monitoring Association (TMA) announced it will transition the organization’s 2020 Annual Meeting and Ops-Tech (formerly known as Fall Operations Management Seminar and Technology Summit) from face-to-face to virtual meetings.
The Annual Meeting Education Sessions will be held Oct. 27-29. The 2020 Ops-Tech Education Sessions will take place as follows:
- Focus on Operations: Nov. 9-12 (includes a bonus one-day Video Security Monitoring track, Nov. 12)
- Focus on Technology: Nov. 17-18.
Attendees can expect the same quality and scope of content in educational programming that has long been a distinguishing attribute of TMA meetings, according to the association.
“The educational portion of our fall events reflects the current, unprecedented business landscape for monitoring and installation companies of all sizes,” says John Brady, TMA Education Committee chair.
“From emerging insurance and legal issues to remote workforce management training issues amid the pandemic, the meeting will dedicate time to the latest technology offerings and explore new business opportunities that have arisen in recent months.”
Electronic Security Association Leadership Summit
The Electronic Security Association (ESA) virtual edition for its annual event — named ESA Leadership Summit Stay Connected — will be held Sept. 29-Oct. 1, connecting leaders with the content and contacts they need to thrive amidst uncertainty, according to an announcement.
The virtual security summit will still deliver top-notch education, self-selected one-on-one meetings with vendors and purposeful networking events, ESA says.
“Our ESA members are continuing to drive value to their customers, evolving with safety standards and enriching their services,” says ESA CEO Merlin Guilbeau. “We can’t imagine a year without delivering the valuable content and connections that help them do this.”
The virtual event will offer components similar to the in-person ESA Leadership Summit events, such as one-on-one meetings and other activities to drive content to the industry’s leaders. There will be presentations and workshops hosted by The Ritz Carlton’s customer experience experts and sales leadership experts. Mike Staver, the author of “Leadership Isn’t for Cowards,” will be a featured presenter.
In addition to the networking, presentations and one-on-one meetings with vendors, leaders from integration and monitoring companies will have the opportunity to watch 15-minute Tech and Service Lightning Presentations from the industry’s leading vendors.
