Here’s June already — I can’t believe we’re halfway through 2026. Where is the year going? Did you make it to the Birmingham NEC and the show, by Nineteen Group, the organisers. It really has become the place for the industry to meet — whether that’s catching up with old friends, making new contacts, discovering new products, or simply enjoying the social side of the event. It certainly felt busy across all three days, and most exhibitors I spoke to were delighted with the turnout.
One thing that surprised me was how many exhibitors had two stands — one in ‘security’, hall five nearest the Starbucks (I know that matters for some!) and one upstairs in fire. I assume that’s because the audiences are quite different, and I suspect many visitors didn’t move much between the two shows. I know I only ventured into the fire hall twice, specifically for meetings. Still, it was great to see such a strong atmosphere, and even better to see the Birmingham parties back in full swing. Apologies if I didn’t make it to yours — there were simply too many to get around!
I noted some debate in a few WhatsApp groups I’m part of about the bag searches at the show — or more accurately, the lack of them. Given that Martyn’s Law is coming into force, it was disappointing? You can’t help but think how damaging a security incident, at a security exhibition, would have been. Or rather, the look of it disappointed; because others remarked approvingly on the security presence and the customer service of patrollers – one offered and even got editor Mark Rowe a chair while he was charging his phone! He’s at the age where he appreciates a detail like that. Anyway, here’s to TSE 2027 already.
I haven’t a huge amount of gossip this month, believe it or not, but here are a few notable industry updates:
AURA has appointed Andy Fort as Operations Director. With 15 years of experience in the sector, Andy brings expertise in growth, operations, and security leadership. Before joining, he served as CEO at ADMI, leading business operations and growth, after senior positions at WS Insight where he managed large-scale security operations across east and central Africa. He also brings public sector experience from the UK Ministry of Defence in intelligence and security. The company says Andy joins at an important stage in their UK expansion of their response network for residential and commercial customers.
Reconeyez has appointed Mark Williams as Vice President of Sales for EMEA. You may recall its recent integration into the VOSKER Group. Reconeyez’s looking to expand across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, while supporting installers, integrators, and partners of the region. Mark brings industry experience, including senior roles at AMAG and Remsdaq, as well as experience with a major integrator.
Meanwhile, Octave — the planned software spin-off from Hexagon AB — has announced the acquisition of VXG Inc., a provider of enterprise-grade, cloud-native video management software. VXG’s cloud-native platform enables corporate campuses, finance, retail, education, healthcare, and others to manage small to mid-sized security installations. Its AI-powered engine combines computer vision analytics with generative AI for intelligent monitoring, alerts, investigations, secure access, and evidence-sharing workflows. The platform supports hundreds of camera models and is designed for providers delivering Video Surveillance-as-a-Service (VSaaS). This builds on the June 2025 launch by Hexagon of a cloud-based video management system built on VXG’s technology. Bringing VXG fully in-house gives Octave greater control over its technology stack.
As I sit here writing this, I’m also packing (yes, multi-skilling going on!) my suitcase to head to Glasgow for the latest Security TWENTY event. Last year, during our golf day, many of us somehow managed to get sunburnt! My wife asked why I hadn’t packed any suncream, and I replied: “Because I was going to Glasgow!” So this year’s mental note was simple: pack suncream.
Hopefully I’ll have seen some of you there. If not, the next stop is Manchester on Wednesday, July 8 at the “Theatre of Dreams” — Old Trafford, pictured. If you are anyone but a Manchester United FC fan, those dreams have looked more like nightmares for some years?! Then again, as most of you know, I don’t really do football and have never understood why people get so emotional about it. To me, football mostly leads to disappointment!
We’re also busy preparing for the Women in Security Awards, which will happen on Wednesday evening, September 16, at the usual Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre venue. Nominations are now open, so make sure you get yours in. And if you’d like to join us, let me know soon — tickets are already selling fast. I know people sometimes say that and tickets aren’t really selling, but believe me, people really want to be at WiS!
