Ifsec 2019 Post-Show Report

Ifsec International welcomed 34,756 total visitors from 117 countries to ExCeL London on 18-20 June. Visitors represented a combined annual purchasing budget of £23 billion. Installers, integrators, distributors, consultants, government representatives, manufacturers and a range of other security stakeholders joined together to discover exclusive product launches, see solutions in action, meet suppliers face to face and take advantage of three days of critical content.

Exhibitors commented on the high quality of IFSEC’s attendees. Norden Communications, who is launching its business in the UK and EU and used a presence at Ifsec to generate brand exposure, said: “We had long, detailed conversations with a good number of visitors per day. As a first-time exhibitor, we couldn’t ask for anything more.”

A platform for product launches
Ifsec International showcases the best and most innovative products and solutions on the global security market. In 2019, IFSEC saw numerous launches of brand-new equipment, putting these solutions in front of an audience of tens of thousands of potential buyers.

Among the major products launches this year was the cost-free Idis Dynamic Privacy Masking (IDPM), developed by Idis to help companies ‘de-identify’ faces in video footage and remain GDPR compliant without compromising security systems. This is a particular boon for companies that are struggling to pay for expensive video cloaking services, and demonstrates some of the industry-critical innovation on display at IFSEC International.

In a similar vein, Cepton Technologies launched its new 3D LiDAR detection system – Vista-Edgeä Perception Evaluation Kit – that uses an array of lasers to detect objects, people and vehicles. It’s designed to isolate threats from uninvolved people and objects, thereby preserving anonymity.

Meanwhile, Optex demonstrated its new visual verification solutions, including Intelligent Visual and its short- and long-range LiDAR sensors, enabling users to better track people, vehicles and drones.

Provider of body-worn cameras Edesix launched its innovative VideoBadge CB-400 at IFSEC International, aimed primarily at policing and security sectors. It will look to provide more transparency and greater accountability, but also prevent crime and anti-social behaviour and provide extra evidence for prosecution.

Zenitel Group unveiled two new platforms at Ifsec International 2019: IC-EDGE and ICX, both of which are designed to deliver enhanced audio management, better scalability and an array of integration and connectivity options.

Looking to the future
This year’s event helped drive the conversation surrounding the biggest developments in the security industry – in particular, the implications those developments will have for the future of the profession.

Reflecting the growing cybersecurity concern and resulting trend towards prioritising information over physical assets, much of IFSEC’s seminar programme focused on the future of security. The Future of Security Theatre provided a dedicated setting for these discussions, but the theme was prominent throughout many of IFSEC’s other 35+ hours of CPD-accredited sessions.

James Morris, Head of Security Solutions at Aon UK, spoke about the value of investing in people to establish a robust security strategy in an increasingly connected world, noting that hackers and cybercriminals will often exploit weaknesses within a business’s employees to gain access to information. Meanwhile, a panel discussion led by Dr. Dave Sloggett covered the growing risks posed by cloud technologies and the Internet of Things, something that is especially pertinent when companies pass the responsibility of keeping cloud-based systems secure to consumers.

Underpinning this was a holistic view of the security environment: Frank Gardner OBE, chair of the keynote programme and an accomplished security journalist who has worked in the Middle East and Afghanistan, touched on the risks posed by extremism, terrorism and geopolitical uncertainty, alongside the new security approaches they require. Numbering among these new approaches is the subject of drones; their uses and the legislation surrounding them was addressed in another keynote panel discussion.

This need to embrace the future is also why Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter used Ifsec International to launch his ‘Secure by Default’ minimum requirement on the UK’s first ever National Surveillance Camera Day. This set of guidelines, ‘by manufacturers for manufacturers’, are designed to ensure security systems are built from the ground-up, are usable, and can evolve to meet changing threats.

The year ahead
As ever, Ifsec International will take onboard feedback from exhibitors, visitors and the wider industry to grow and improve in 2020. Focusing on the issues, products and individuals driving security excellence, Ifsec International 2020 will shift to better reflect the industry calendar.

Ifsec International 2020 will take place on 19-21 May 2020 at ExCeL, London. As well as once again running alongside FirexX International, Safety & Health Expo, Facilities Show and Smart Buildings Expo, IFSEC will be joined for the first time by Counter Terror Expo, Ambition and Forensics, fully embracing the wide remit of the security industry.