From April 30 to May 2 I saw many of you at The Security Event at the NEC.
My team and I were there all three days, which were great as I am sure they were for many of you. I really enjoyed it and it was rammed with visitors. I was invited to a number of after-show parties just like the years when IFSEC was at the NEC; parties which I attended of course; but there were so many I couldn’t get to them all. To the right is a picture of me with Melanie Day at the COP party in Popworld, the nightclub on Broad Street in downtown Birmingham where many repaired to in the evening, and where many were staying. You may wonder why I’m showing a surprised face on the last of the passport-style photos; I can explain that by the second picture, where Melanie is tickling me under the chin. Popworld was renamed COPworld for the first two nights. Such a simple and yet clever piece of marketing so that if anyone is thinking of setting up a distribution company, be sure to name it like a well-known nightclub so you can do the same.
Latest movers
Here are all the latest movers. Simon Green is starting a new position, as head of sales – UK at Sentric Safety Group. As the name suggests they’re in the safety space, but you may come across the parent company Halma, because another firm of theirs is Fortress Interlocks. Now that’s explained, I can tell you that Simon and I go back many years. He worked at Genie and at Bosch, and you will recall was UK sales director at Comelit. While talking of Genie; I met Steve Baker at the NEC. He is now representing TVT. That’s not a new type of explosive but a Chinese manufacturer that used to OEM the Genie cameras. They now want to hit the UK market as TVT! Still talking of Genie another ex-employee of them is Tracie Hitchcock who has just joined Eagle Eye Networks, who were also busy at the NEC. As an area sales manager, working with Linda Trivedi, the UK and Ireland regional sales manager at Eagle Eye. Tracie worked for me at MVD many years ago. In fact she was there before I started.
Ops to MD
Also exhibiting at the NEC were the Doncaster-based alarm monitoring centre DSOC, that we featured a couple of years ago for their work protecting self-storage units. Robert Dovey who was operations manager there has become MD. In further proof that it’s a small world, DSOC have become a certified partner of Eagle Eye. Meanwhile Linda Handley has started as head of security and fire service at Frocester Group. That name sounds to me sounds like a place in the shires, and it is, but their head office actually is in Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire and Linda will be managing the installer’s service desk covering CCTV and intruder alarms, fire and access control. The company’s engineering arm dominates the rugby scrum machine market, they say. To my knowledge that’s the first mention of such a thing in all the years of Professional Security.
My head’s spinning
Someone else I saw on the floor at the NEC was Bob Groom who has joined FLIR or to give them their full name Teledyne Flir, as a business development manager. Again I’ve known Bob for 30 or more years. He was at Sanyo when I first met him. MS Webb appointed Jo Ward as Interim General Manager. She has background as an HR and Operations Director in the security industry. She’s the wife of David, who you will know as one of the brothers behind the Kent-based guard firm of that name, a member of the ACS Pacesetters. The brothers went their separate ways in 2021 and David is now consulting and with Portal Security, which Professional Security featured the other month? The months flash by so that I can’t remember which. But having mentioned Ward Security, interesting that though very much a south-east based firm, they recently took on more office space in Spinningfields in Manchester city centre. I have got somewhat off my point, which was MS Webb! They are on the legal enforcement services side of security such as providing bailiffs against squatters.
The Gav Inn
One of the NEC stands that had more thought put into it than most was DVS’ which was branded as Gav Inn, and featured director Gavin Dunleavy as the laughing cavalier. I have to say Gavin that the costume suits you – but when you’re playing golf, doesn’t the ruff get in the way of your swing, and the hat blow off. Because it can get windy in south Wales. Joking aside, another neat way to get people talking about and identifying with your brand, which is what business is about. How shows change, the NEC had a DJ pumping out tunes – if you have the energy to dance at 1.20pm on a Thursday, I take my hat (or Dave Davies’ flat cap) off to you!
A date for your diary – The Security Event is a little earlier in the year in 2025, from April 8 to 10, still Tuesday to Thursday.
