ASIS 2016

A Full Spectrum

An abundance of solutions at ASIS 2016

• By David C. Davis, CPP
• Jul 01, 2016

Security is the perfect business discipline. It’s infused with technology, innovation and multifaceted applications that cross managerial, sector and international borders. It is critical to sustaining a nation’s infrastructure, including its nuclear arsenal. Security is a central component of all transportation, whether by land, sea or air. It is behind the scenes, ensuring the privacy of citizens whose financial transactions, healthcare records and procedures, and retail purchases are handled with sensitive attention to myriad details.

But I’m preaching to the choir, right? Your company not only faces these challenges in the application of security products and services but also faces fierce competition from emerging national and international players.

How can you stay ahead? How can you know that your access control systems, CCTV installations, and security awareness programs are providing the protections that fuel the international engines of commerce, keep employees safe at work and while traveling, and provide the solid metrics that point to security professionals as the go-to experts in all C-suite debates?

Staying on top of the array of factors that must be considered requires a vision that can give clarity to future decision making. While security practices are frequently under the scrutiny of regulations and standards, a primary way for security professionals to gain new knowledge is by networking with peers.

The major annual networking and education event on every security practitioner’s calendar happens every fall. The 62nd Annual ASIS Seminar and Exhibits, scheduled from Sept. 12-15, in Orlando, is already creating a palpable buzz within the profession. A top-notch group of keynote speakers, peer-reviewed sessions, a packed exhibit hall, and formal and informal interaction with peers will provide an unprecedented 360-degree view of today’s security landscape.

Keynote Presenters: An amazing lineup of renowned speakers will provide their perspectives on events of the day.

Ted Koppel, journalist and author, has embodied the term “eye-witness to history” during his fifty-year career. Today, Koppel serves as commentator and non-fiction book reviewer for National Public Radio. His most recent book, Lights Out, evaluates ways for America to prepare for a cyber-catastrophe.

Elliott Abrams is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House and served as senior director of the National Security Council for Near East and North African affairs. ? Abrams will discuss the many adversaries the U.S. faces in the Middle East and in the Islamic world and offer perspectives on U.S. foreign policy.

Dr. Beck Weathers’ miraculous story of survival from one of the most violent and deadly storms in the history of Mt. Everest has captivated and inspired the world for almost 20 years. His odyssey was chronicled in the 2015 feature film, Everest, starring Josh Brolin as Weathers. Weathers will take audiences back to that fateful day on Everest, and reflect on his harrowing tale of survival and the lessons learned while getting a second chance at life.

EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS

More than 250 peer-reviewed sessions will feature experts from around the world discussing cutting-edge topics in product specialties such as networked cameras, contract security services, cloud-based security, and mobile access controls, as well as alarm monitoring and emergency management tools.

How jihadists use social media to recruit and terrorize nations as well as how security practitioners can use their digital arsenal to counter these threats will foster open debate at many sessions. Speakers will also provide updates on ASIS/ANSI standards, boardcertified credentials, and transitioning into security from a military or law enforcement career.

To pinpoint sessions of greatest interest, a grid system in the on-site program indicates all sessions produced by ASIS and its education partner, ISC2. The topics are separated into 25 categories, including cloud security, forensics, crisis management, investigations, mobile security, and terrorism. A special section is set aside specifically to address topics of interest to security integrators.

In addition, seven day-long pre-seminar classes will delve into industry issues, such as how to secure drugs in the healthcare industry, the latest trends in financial services, and applications of CPTED and workplace violence initiatives.

EXCITING EXHIBITS FLOOR

Opportunities for companies to speak one-on-one with current and potential clients in the exhibit hall occur for more than eight hours each day. In addition, Tech Talk presentations in the Solutions Theater gives companies the stage to present how their products or services have been used successfully in various global contexts, followed by a question and answer session with developers and implementers. Poster presentations give another avenue for attendees to absorb details on how a specific security problem was solved and to talk through the solution with the person at the core of the issue.

Many resources are available to search out specific products and services on the floor, including the Show Planner, the ASIS Show Daily newspaper, and the ASIS 2016 mobile app. Attendees can receive up-to-the minute program updates and industry news by following @ASIS_Intl or the conference hashtag, #ASIS16.

ASIS TV will broadcast on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, featuring news from the exhibit floor and product highlights. The videos will be broadcast on monitors around the convention center as well as on the ASIS Digital Wall and on www.securityexpo.org.

The prestigious Accolades “Security’s Best” Awards recognizes new ventures that are designed to become security mainstays. All exhibitors are invited to submit products and services introduced within the past year to a team of judges who evaluate the entries. The judges include end users as well as experts in physical and information security.

In their submissions, companies are asked to describe a difficulty with existing security technologies and explain how their new product or service solves the problem. Attendees will be invited to vote for their own “People’s Choice Award” through the ASIS mobile app or a dedicated kiosk in the exhibit hall. Winners will be announced at Monday’s Networking Luncheon, and the awards will be featured at their booths.

FORMAL AND INFORMAL NETWORKING

Mixers, receptions, lunches, breakfasts, meetings, happy hours, lounges, council booths and just walking through the spacious hallways of the Orange County Convention Center provide a host of chances for attendees to connect or reconnect with colleagues in specific corporate, geographic, or security specialties.

The onsite Career Center offers free resume reviews, career coaching, and education sessions for persons just coming into the field, looking to transition into new security positions, or simply want to ensure their career is on the right path.

IT’S ABOUT YOUR FUTURE

You know the importance of this annual event to your bottom line. Where else can you gather the latest products and services that intrigue your security team? Where else can you be excited by connecting with the very security professionals that push your managers to excel?

The ASIS International Annul Seminar and Exhibits provides the best opportunity to rejuvenate personal passions for excellence and reinvigorate your company’s security vision. Join me in Orlando this September to do just that.

This article originally appeared in the July 2016 issue of Security Today.