A Different Kind of Tradeshow
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Sep 30, 2015
From my 20 years' experience attending ASIS, I have always found it to be a different kind of tradeshow. Years ago everyone wore a suit, and it seemed like a pretty formal affair. Something has changed.
Today's tradeshow seems a lot smaller than those in the past. This bodes well for me because I can talk to just about anyone, at any time. The exhibitors run hot and cold for booth visitors.
There are still plenty of products to see, friends to catch up with and networking opportunities galore.
Protection 1 releases a new product intended to introduce the new generation of account management. eSuite 2.0 comes feature rich and user friendly. While there are numerous features, here is what caught my eye: Video verification is a must have, and it is part of the new offering. There also is a function called Signal Chat that allows pre-designated location contacts to swiftly resolve schedule exception notifications via a smartphone chat session.
I also want to introduce to you Snaptrends. It is a pioneering location-based social media discovery. It quickly cuts through the noise of social chatter to quickly identify actionable insights. The idea is to collect social media data so the user can take action more effectively.
Another new player is Prism, which allows the end user to "experience" your retail outlets with the simply click of a button. The end user can receive powerful reports, dashboards and data visualizations into the customer journey.
Two days of ASIS have blown by pretty quickly. Thanks to Axis Communications for a tour of their new facility in Irvine. They are expanding their worldwide presence with Experience Centers. Look for two more in the United States as their growth develops; maybe even one in Dallas. Terrific ribs at the ESPNzone last night thanks to Samsung, and last but not least by any means, a terrific outing with Altronix on Monday night to watch the Angels play the A's.
Times are changing though the suits still meander through the tradeshow, it's become a bit more casual - but thankfully just a professional.
About the Author
Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.