GSX 2021: Jump-Starting the Return to Normal

  • By Matt Jones
  • Oct 04, 2021

Last year, ASIS made the call to convert GSX 2020 into a virtual event against the backdrop of COVID-19. This year’s conference, then, marked the return of GSX as an in-person event. And given the strange limbo we find ourselves in with regard to the pandemic—it’s either ongoing, over, getting better, or getting worse, depending on who you ask—from a logistics standpoint, the tentative return to normalcy went off without a hitch.

ASIS took every possible precaution to keep attendees safe. We were required to either submit proof of vaccination in advance of the conference or to complete a daily health attestation upon arriving at the Orange County Convention Center. Booths were spaced farther apart; the aisles were wider. The show floor was subject to frequent cleaning. Floor signs helped direct traffic. And, of course, face masks were mandatory, regardless of vaccination status.

(While walking around on Day 2, I overheard a humorous conversation at one of the booths. The booth’s owner slid behind the table and collapsed into a chair, agitated. “I just got yelled at for not wearing a mask,” he growled to his colleague. “They told me to put it on for my own health and safety. I told ‘em no.” He flung his mask onto the table for emphasis. The booth was vacant the following morning.)

I explained last week that this was my first trade show, so I don’t have much of a basis for comparison. I’ve heard that attendance was smaller, that the event itself was scaled back, that lines were shorter, that the event was a shadow of its usual self. I did get a sense of that; after an overwhelming Monday and Tuesday, by mid-morning on Wednesday, there didn’t seem to be a lot left to see.

But all of those observations came from the attendance side. From the organizer’s standpoint – the logistics of gathering hundreds of vendors and thousands of people in a single room during the tail end of a global pandemic – I cannot think of a single thing that ASIS could have done differently to make it run more smoothly.

What happened was that the event was a little smaller and quieter than normal. What didn’t happen was a COVID outbreak. Or an emergency evacuation of the facility. Or a loud meltdown / confrontation regarding masks. Or, really, any pandemic-related disruptions whatsoever.

Event organizers, take note: If we consider GSX 2021 to be a trial run at resuming life as we once knew it, it could serve as a textbook model of how to throw a large-scale event in our current climate. And that by itself is no small feat.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.