Government Security Vital Part of Tradeshow

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• Mar 24, 2011

Next week a group of our staff heads out to Washington, D.C. to attend GovSec. The focus is on government security --  this includes everything from federal government to local law enforcement.

Traditionally, this has been a relatively slow tradeshow. That was then. Our parent company, 1105 Media Inc., bought the tradeshow a couple years ago, and it began to flourish once again. This is now.

Welcome to GovSec, which starts Tuesday and goes through next Thursday (March 29-31) at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

It has a new angle and a new flavor. In years past, it was coupled with FOSE, but not any more. Now, it stands on its own, and does so quite well. Things have changed.

GovSec 2011 will feature a rather interesting keynote speaker in Retired U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, incident commander of the Deep Horizon Oil Spill, and Nicholas Stein, series producer of “Border Wars”. I have the pleasure of introducing the admiral before his keynote.

GovSec is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive government security tradeshow. Here, attendees can experience the latest systems, tools and technologies preventing future incidents, preparing for and responding to hazards and disasters -- all the while keeping the public safe. Within the GovSec show are marketplaces also known as U.S. Law Enforcement, GovCyber and Digital Forensics.

Also new this year is our own Network-Centric Security magazine hosting and awarding winners of a products contest where entries were focused on the government market and its specific needs. The awards are The Govies. Winners will be named in the platinum and gold divisions.

With all that’s taking place in the world today, you don’t want to miss this tradeshow and exhibition. And just announced will be a panel discussion on regime change in the Middle East. There are many other educational courses offered, but this one alone promises to be an exclusive and will be offered at 2 p.m. Wednesday.