Organisers of International Security Expo co-located with International Disaster Response Expo has hailed record numbers after the 2019 show. It saw some 12,576 international visitors, a 7pc increase on 2018. They travelled from 112 countries for the two day event at Olympia London on December 3 and 4.
With the national threat level substantial, keeping visitors safe over the two days was a major priority for the organisers, and many attendees were pleased to see temporary HVM barriers outside and a new ‘High Footfall Screening’ solution in place at the entrance to allow for a faster flow of visitors and VIPs in.
Peter Jones, Chief Executive at event owners Nineteen, says: “There is a truly international flavour now and our vision is to grow the show into the largest and most credible security event globally. With an incredibly talented team, and under the chairmanship of Former Security Minister, Admiral Lord West I look forward to seeing the show go from strength to strength in the coming years.”
Tristan Norman, Group Event Director in charge of the Security and Disaster Response Series at Nineteen adds: “International Security Expo was once again an exceptional event. Opened by Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the lead for Counter Terror Policing in the UK, the 200-plus high calibre speakers, number of international delegates and range of UK government agencies supporting sets us aside from other shows in this sector.”
Some 12 conference, summit and workshop theatres delivered almost 250 CPD certified sessions covering drone and counter drone, cyber security, protecting crowded places, aviation and transport security, crisis management and business continuity, forensics, designing in security, global counter terrorism and serious and organised crime. Speakers included senior representatives from the FBI and NCSC, Commissioner of the City of London Police, just retired Deputy Director from the NCA, a former member of Al Qaeda and MI6 spy, a former US Secret Service Agent and Chemical Weapons expert, and the UK’s Cyber Ambassador to the USA.
A product innovation theatre covered CCTV, access control, perimeter protection, communications, screening and scanning, and tracking and monitoring to name a few.
A former hostage Peter Moore described how he survived being held captive in Iraq for over two years; Figen Murray introduced Martyn’s Law in memory of her son who was murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing; and Helen Scott described the impact the Pan Am 103 flight blowing up over her house in Lockerbie has had on her life.
Live immersive features included a cyber demonstrator which took audiences from a hacker’s bedroom through to a police arrest, and the Border Force Sea Container gave a demonstration of how far criminals go to hide contraband. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue brought visitors in via virtual reality headsets to give real training in armed weapons and police scene of crime analysis, and the LPCB test lab showed how products stand up to testing.
Tristan Norman adds: “There’s significant momentum to the event with over 85pc of exhibitors rebooking onsite for next year and many taking much bigger stands, we are also proud to have continued support from all 20 Premier Partners. The 2020 event will build on the huge success of this year’s show including a much wider cyber offering, increased International Delegation programme and expansion into the National Hall at Olympia to allow for the growing number of exhibitors and visitors.”
International Security Expo will be returning to Olympia, on December 2 and 3. Visit the website at http://www.internationalsecurityexpo.com.
