United States. From the Ventas de Seguridad magazine we had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with Mary Beth Shaughnessy, vice president of events at ISC West, who shared news, expectations and details of what is expected of ISC West 2023.
VDS: What's new for the 2023 edition of ISC West?
Mary Beth: An exciting new area that we will be introducing this year is the Workforce Development and Career Zone, a center
dedicated to young professionals and next generation leaders in the security industry. It will feature a professional headshot studio, workshops on mentoring, branding and social media, plus a cornhole area for networking.
We understand the need to attract young talent. These are exciting times: technology is constantly evolving and security is at the forefront of many conversations, so we need to think about how we will communicate that to the next generation of security specialists.
In addition, we are expanding and elevating SIA's New Products and Solutions (NPS) Awards area. The SIA NPS Awards are the security industry's premier product awards program. New products and solutions are reviewed by a panel of judges with extensive industry experience, and entrants compete for awards in 36 categories, as well as the prestigious Best New Product and Judges' Choice awards.
The Bridge, the main destination of the ISC West stage, is also an exciting feature of the exhibition hall. Centrally located on the show floor adjacent to the SIA NPS Awards, this highly trafficked theater is designed to highlight innovation, new technology and partner integrations in the industry and will host special events such as the SIA NPS Awards ceremonies. Awards and Mission 500 5k Run.
VDS: In your experience, what are the market demands that have most influenced ISC West's offerings and main themes?
Mary Beth: Every year, we review the Security Megatrend report developed by SIA, the leading trade association for global security solution providers, to determine important topics in the industry as we prepare for ISC West. In 2022, cybersecurity was ranked as the number 2 megatrend; this year, it rose to the top spot and is considered the #1 megatrend for 2023.
That being said, one focus for the program will be the convergence of security and how to take a holistic approach to challenges. Businesses now need to merge the concept of cybersecurity and physical security to protect their organization's assets and critical data infrastructure. Therefore, new this year, the Connected IOT spotlight area will include cybersecurity to better reflect the type of exhibitors/content that have been added to the show and support attendee demand for cybersecurity related solutions and content.
ISC West is a one-stop-shop for physical security teams who work closely with their IT security teams in an organization.
VDS: How many visitors are expected at this year's event and what can they expect from the SIA Education@ISC West programme?
Mary Beth: We are working to get back to pre-pandemic levels and expect over 20,000 industry professionals and an increase in international attendees as well.
At ISC West 2023, the SIA Education@ISC educational program will have more than 80 educational sessions and more than 170 speakers. Every year we have a very strong conference schedule, and this year we will present two high-level keynote addresses.
In addition, there are new education tracks, including a Leadership and Workforce Development track, the ever-popular Security Megatrends track, and cybersecurity-related tracks. ISC West is also partnering with several new organizations, including the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association, who will offer additional educational sessions.
VDS: What are the challenges of your new role as Vice President of Events, ISC Security Events?
Mary Beth: The most difficult challenge I've had to overcome in my career at RX has been working through the pandemic and learning how to communicate effectively and stay engaged with our clients. In this new role, I now look forward to returning to pre-pandemic levels, expanding show offerings, and will work to reinvent and reimagine ISC Security Events as the industry and technologies continue to evolve.
VDS: What do you expect from Latin American visitors at the fair?
Mary Beth: I know it's probably been a couple of years since many visitors from Latin America have been able to attend ISC West, so I hope you enjoy the enhanced features of the show, the additional educational sessions we've curated, the many special events we've they will take place over four days and, of course, time to network with your peers. We are very excited to be working with all of our partners again and really appreciate the support of our customers over the past few years. I can't wait to see everyone at ISC West again!
