This year's edition of SICUR, held from 28 February to 2 March 2012, closed its doors with favourable results. The Fair, organised by IFEMA, brought together the products of 1,233 companies, 524 of which participated directly, and was visited by 38,840 professionals. These figures confirm the popularity of this fair, which has become one of the highlights in the European calendar of trade fairs in the sector.
Another important feature of SICUR 2012 was its international nature, both from the point of view of those taking part, where the international presence accounted for 35%, with the direct presence of companies from 21 countries, and from the point of view of foreign visitors registered, involving 2,872 professionals from 80 countries.
Strong presence of professionals from Portugal and from 17 Latin American countries
This year it is also interesting to note the significant presence of professionals from Portugal, who have made up 45% of the total number of foreign visitors, and those from 17 Latin American Counties, accounting for 10%, among which the countries that stand out in terms of numbers are, in this order, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. Looking at Europe, after Portugal the largest number of visitors corresponded to Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Germany. Another particularly important feature of this year's event was the presence of a group of 60 professionals from Russia; 30 from the United States, and a notable increase in visitors from India, Korea and Kuwait.
Nationally, the figures this year indicate that 48% of the visitors came from outside Madrid, largely from Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencia, Castile-Leon and the Basque Country, although it received visitors from all of the Autonomous Communities, as well as the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
In addition, in parallel to the trade fair, SICUR was the stage for many activities, exhibitions and professional meetings that were a great success in terms of the number of people attending. Among these, the SICUR Forum programme of conferences, taking place over the four days of the fair, brought together 900 attendees, and the Brokerage Event, organised by Madrid+d on 28 and 29 February, involved 120 organisations and generated more than 200 job interviews designed for the transfer of technology in security.
Gallery of New Products
Other highlights from SICUR 2012 were the Gallery of New Products, which this year focussed on 31 proposals in which the technology applications available in the security sector played an important role, as did specific technological developments; the various rescue drills and manoeuvres carried out by the Madrid Fire Department; the Canine Unit of Fire Department (CUMFD); the Spanish Association of Bodyguards (SAP); the 1st Professional Meeting for Vertical Works in Spain, organised by the National Association of Vertical Works Companies (NAVWC); the exhibition of old police vehicles, RETORPOL IV; and the 13th Emergencia 112 Photography Exhibition.
All of these activities, together with the extensive offerings for Public and Private Security, Emergencies, Fire Safety and Occupational Health and Safety, took place in SICUR's exhibition halls, creating an information and experience sharing event which greatly impressed the various professional areas involved in the world of security, and the representatives from many branches of the media, both sector-specific and general, who for four days made security their only focus.
SICUR was also the location chosen by many key security sector associations and institutions for their official meetings, and other activities, such as the presentation of the report on the social perception of security in Spain, given by Fundación ESYS; the workshop on Progression of non-work related accidents in society, organised by Fundación Mapfre; the holding of the Fire Day by TECNIFUEGO - AESPI and the prize-giving for the 1st SCI Award for Fire Safety Inspection; or the meeting of the assembly of senior members of the security industry called, Agora de Decanos de la Seguridad. The Fair was inaugurated on the morning of 28 February by the Government's Representative in Madrid, Cristina Cifuentes.
