The highly anticipated event of the year for the security industry finally happened! The Electronic Security Expo opened and brought together security professionals from all over the country. ESX attracts the biggest, best, and most progressive installing and monitoring companies in the nation to meet with exhibiting electronic security equipment vendors and industry providers.
Each year, ESX is proof that it is possible to offer a show floor large enough to spotlight an incredibly wide range of security products and services, yet manageable enough to tour at a leisurely pace and drill deeply into any category. No end users. No chaotic crowds. This is a tailored educational event designed to help you grow your business. Here are some highlights of the many thing’s security pros were able to experience at this year’s ESX.
The Electronic Security Association, the owner of the event, jumpstarted the events at ESX with several meetings including the ESA Associate Member Meeting, ESA Annual Meeting, ESA Education Committee Meeting and Executive Management Professionals (EMP) Meeting to discuss industry trends and more. Thanks to everyone who attended the ESA Annual Meeting and supported our award winners for excellence in the industry, the installation of our newest Board members.
After the meetings attendees jumped into ESX’s Executive Leadership Workshops. These workshops were an opportunity for connecting with, learning from and growing with other C-Suite operators and owners of electronic security and life safety companies. The program offered insights to freshen up your leadership approach and motivate your team in an intensive afternoon of workshops led by experts. These leadership workshops were also led by a John Maxwell sales expert.
ESX finished Day 1 of the event right! There is no better way to take in Louisville than with live music, local beer and spirits, and a mix of local flavors as we celebrated the launch of ESX 2023! The Opening Celebration was a perfect opportunity to mix and mingle with other attendees and catch up with old industry friends in a more casual, laidback environment. This time around, the Opening Celebration had a LIVE Karaoke band to get security pros to sing the night away.
Moderated by George DeMarco, the OpenXChange Breakfast is where we talked about the newest-of-the new; technologies, services, and go-to market strategies and the changing competitive landscape that will influence the direction of our industry. Our expert panelists this year included Elizabeth Parks from Parks Associates, Bart Proctor of Pye-Barker and Tyler Tribe of Becklar. This lively panel, from various segments of the industry, focused on what’s likely to happen and how it’s going to impact your business in the near term and long run, including technologies that you should pay attention to, like ChatGPT.
The education sessions continued on Tuesday. They focused on women in security, marketing, emergency response systems, reducing truck rolls and more.
ESX’s expo floor provides access to multiple exhibitors in varying industries such as Fire Detection, Access Control, Smart Home Building, Video Surveillance IT/Networking and so much more! Tuesday also offered 5 incredible educational sessions on sales, management, operations, monitoring and more from speakers with years of real-world experience, as well as free technical training to exhibitors and sponsors. Throughout the day, attendees were able to walk around the expo floor, observing the latest technology from exhibitors in the industry.
There also was the keynote luncheon on the main stage featuring Keynote Speaker Jon Acuff. Jon Acuff’s inspirational session was titled Soundtracks: How the Best Teams Overcome Overthinking to Navigate Change, Increase Productivity and Win Consistently. The Sara E. Jackson award was also presented after the Keynote to Kirk MacDowell of MacGuard Security Advisors.
The Innovation Awards recognize outstanding products and services that drive the electronic security and life safety industry forward. Our panel of ESX judges — integrator leaders from across the nation — presented the ESX Innovation Awards to products and services that offer significant growth opportunities to dealers, integrators and monitoring centers.
The SIAC Awards Reception is where the Youth Scholarship award was announced. Individuals were honored throughout this networking reception, as we identified the industry’s leaders working to resolve alarm management issues. We awarded the PDQ Awards, along with SIACs William N. Moody Award.
After a day on the expo floor attendees visited the local Kentucky nightlife at the ESX Pub Crawl! Security pros shared experiences, caught up with friends and made new ones in a casual atmosphere. ESX is unique in that it offers opportunities where work meets play and industry friendships are formed.
The education sessions continued through Wednesday. They focused on driving higher RMR, fire alarms, recruitment and retention, talent acquisition, sales, tracking KPI’s and more.
Attendees were able to connect with lunch on the expo floor while continuing to make connections with peers in the industry. This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase each product and service. Wednesday also held historical artifacts on the expo floor where attendees could get a unique bourbon trail tasting.
There also was the General Session on the main stage featuring Keynote Speaker Kenyon Salo. Just steps away from the expo floor, this highly energetic and engaging presentation, security pros learned how to create phenomenal experiences, share powerful stories, and help others along the way. Elevate your life, both personally and professionally.
The Electronic Security Association (ESA) celebrated its 75th year with a Diamond Jubilee at the Frazier History Museum with a 1920’s themed celebration. The Morris F Weinstock Celebration commemorates the accomplishments of a security professional whose lifetime achievements have made a significant impact on the industry and was presented to Jamie Vos of Security Solutions Northwest. Both events held Wednesday evening wrapped up the third day of ESX.
With classes like How to Encourage Collaboration Between Sales and Installation Staff, and The Top Applications and Monitoring Services for Video Surveillance, Thursday was filled with education-packed sessions that have been designed to help electronic security pros move their business forward towards efficiency and productivity.
Opening the last day of the Expo is the Closing Luncheon where former US. Army Black Hawk Pilot, Elizabeth McCormick, shared the professional development secrets for success with her stories of overcoming overwhelming obstacles, while inspiring you to soar to success! Come here for inspiration, motivation and networking with like-minded electronic security and life safety peers. This plated luncheon included programming that will inspire members of your organization to accomplish their goals and lead others to climb to higher levels of success.
This bourbon experience was at the close of the 2023 show. Directly after the Closing Luncheon, buses picked up Bourbon Experience attendees and headed over to two distilleries. The first stop was the Evan Williams Distillery and the second was the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Both are on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and buses then returned attendees to their ESX Host Hotels.
So far ESX 2023 is one for the books! Make sure to save the date for ESX 2024 hosted in Louisville, Kentucky June 3-6! It is bound to be another incredible experience at the Electronic Security Expo.
The Electronic Security Association – (ESA) thanks its Premier Event Sponsor for their support in this year’s Electronic Security Expo – (ESX). This conference and tradeshow for security integration, life safety, and monitoring companies has earned a stellar reputation as the must-attend event for the industry’s most innovative and influential leaders. Beyond the tradeshow floor is an unparalleled opportunity to position organizations as a leading force in the marketplace.
“As a leading provider of security monitoring services, we understand the crucial importance of staying ahead of technological advancements in the industry. As a premier sponsor of the Electronic Security Expo – ESX, we are proud to showcase our unwavering commitment to the industry while presenting our latest solutions to our valued dealer network. We are excited to collaborate with other industry leaders and experts at this dynamic event and continue to drive excellence in electronic security monitoring,” says Woodie Andrawos, President of National Monitoring Center (NMC).
ESA’s top sponsorship levels afford the best spotlight possible. When this focused group comes together to share their ideas and solutions, the industry takes a bold leap forward in setting the pace for its future. We are incredibly thankful to have dedicated sponsors who allow for this incredible event to happen and continue to bring a nationwide industry together.
Sponsorship options for ESX 2024 will commence during ESX 2023 space selection, June 6-7, 2023, and the 2024 event will be held in Louisville once again. To learn more, security manufacturers and service providers are encouraged to schedule a call with ESA’s VP of Business Development, Jessica DaCosta or ESA’s Business Development Executive Kaleigh Barraso.
ESX is Security Connected, immersing dedicated security professionals in a niche pro-installed environment, where they are provided actionable ideas, strategies, and collaboration opportunities to move the industry forward. ESX is where the industry gathers.
“ESX is a great place to keep up on new technologies, make connections and reassess your vision and direction for your company.” says George DeMarco, ESX Chairman “Getting ‘plugged in’ to your industry accelerates your professional development and helps you and your team gain valuable and thoughtful insights. Great networking opportunities are a catalyst for personal growth and business success, giving your organization a better opportunity to attain operational and financial excellence,” DeMarco continues
Registration is open for the ESX 2023, and offers several attendance options, including access to the Expo Only and an Executive pass for access to exclusive leadership sessions. Discounted prices on all registration types expire April 7th, 2023. Additionally, ESX offers a special where if 4 security pros register for the same pass, they can receive a 5th for free. This creates an opportunity to bring your whole team to ESX for best practice sharing at a discounted cost.
ESX attendees learn new skills, make new connections, get exposed to new products, and inspirational moments. ESX is a meaningful event open exclusively to the professional security and life safety integrator and is designed to allow passionate professionals the ability to learn more, share more and interact more. No chaotic crowds. Just tailored networking and educational sessions designed to help you and your team grow your business.
Here are four things you and your team can expect to experience by attending ESX:
ESX features keynote presentations and educational sessions from industry experts and influencers. These presentations aim to teach attendees new skills, best practices, and provide actionable takeaways to achieve long-term success. If you and your team are attentive and eager to learn, they’ll leave with new tools and ideas to incorporate into their day-to-day workflow.
“Best education sessions I have ever attended.”
ESX differs from other industry tradeshows as it focuses on quality engagements and creative ways to encourage interactions that break the ice. ESX attendees can expect (# of networking events ) that focus on shared experiences that forge lasting connections, including the Opening Celebration, The Pub Crawl, and the ESA’s Weinstock Celebration where security pros will honor the Morris F Weinstock Person of the Year and ESA’s 75th Year, The Diamond Jubilee.
“ESX has always been a great social event to meet new people and strengthen relationships with both new and existing peers”
Be more than just a badge scan. The expo floor is open exclusively to security and life safety integration and monitoring professionals; it isn’t diluted or redirected for end users. It is a targeted resource for productive business conversations and features the latest products and services in categories, including access control; video surveillance; central station technology; intrusion and fire alarms; custom electronics; IT and networking; monitoring services; identification systems, and more.
Additionally, ESX is the event to promote your products or services. If you are interested in sponsorship and expo booth options, take a look at ESX’s sponsorship brochure here: esxweb.com/electronic-security-expo-sponsorship.
“The quality of the conversations that we’ve had and the leads that are going to be coming out of this have been fantastic.” says Steven Coughlin, Account Executive at Bold Group and exhibitor at ESX 2022
Everybody’s motivation dips from time to time. When you go through the same routine every single day, it’s natural to lose focus or burn out. ESX provides a great opportunity to step away from the day-to-day grind and experience something fresh and exciting. You and your team will build skills and gain actionable insights while at ESX, but they will also feel reinvigorated after spending time in a new, high-energy atmosphere. You may think that spending time out of the office will hurt productivity – but once your employees return, they will likely be more productive than ever thanks to their newfound motivation and inspiration.
“I don’t know of a more insightful convention to attend. This was the most beneficial 3 days of my career.”
Registration is now open for the 2023 Electronic Security Expo (ESX), a trade show and educational conference owned by the Electronic Security Association (ESA). The event designed by and for electronic security and life safety integrators/dealers will be held June 5-8 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
ESX provides security professionals a forum in which to learn about the latest technology innovations; acquire proven business strategies; gain new insights based on best practices; and connect with peers to grow a trusted network.
The lowest registration pricing (Early Bird) will be available until April 7, 2023, so we encourage security professionals to register soon while the savings last.
Additionally, ESX offers special team registration discounts. Four security pros registering for the same pass can bring a fifth from their company free. This creates an opportunity to bring your whole team to ESX for best practice sharing at a discounted cost. Interested security pros can register at www.esxweb.com/register.
“ESX is a great place to keep up on new technologies, make connections and reassess your vision and direction for your company.” says George DeMarco, ESX Chairman “Getting ‘plugged in’ to your industry accelerates your professional development and helps you and your team gain valuable and thoughtful insights. Great networking opportunities are a catalyst for personal growth and business success, giving your organization a better opportunity to attain operational and financial excellence,” DeMarco continues
On ESX’s expo floor, attendees aren’t subjected rattled-off product pitches. They can expect to tap exhibitors for advice on marketing, sales, installation training, merchandising, and more. ESX is uniquely only open to the pro-installed channel, so exhibitors can better target their conversations – it is a more focused experience for everyone involved. By design, the event is said to offer attendees from across the industry a more intimate experience to facilitate one-on-one interactions and quality conversations.
In addition to the expo experience, dealers, integrators, and monitoring professionals with the Deluxe or Executive Pass will have access to quality education driven by peers and thought leaders with real-world advice. It has been boasted as the strongest educational programming in the industry. Over 80% of ESX 2022 attendees rated the education sessions VERY GOOD or EXCELLENT. ESX 2023’s education sessions will be divided into the 4 following tracks:
ESX differs from other industry tradeshows as it focuses on quality engagements and creative ways to encourage interactions that break the ice. ESX attendees can expect a diverse blend of networking events that focus on shared experiences that forge lasting connections, including the Opening Celebration, Pub Crawl, and the ESA’s 75th Diamond Jubilee and Weinstock Celebration where security pros will honor the Morris F Weinstock Person of the Year and ESA’s 75th anniversary.
When it comes to hiring, it can be challenging to identify who could be the right fit for the company, and sometimes new hires are not well suited for a specific job. So how do we find a “team player” and someone who will be a successful new hire?
Sherry Brown, leader of this Leadership Workshop, recommends that as a company it is important to first understand and define what it is and what its values are. This is integral because if your company’s core values are “working as a team” then you to look into new hires that share that value as well. Once hiring managers are aware of specific company values, they can know who their target audience is and who to target with job postings. Hiring new talent means looking at what sets them apart from everyone else. Managers should also have proficient interviewing skills, have questions tailored to core value and brand, and know how to screen resumes based on the company’s values and needs. When a company knows what their brand is, it is easy to identify who falls in line with that brand and message as an employee.
Retaining employees has been a challenge in the market for a few years now. So how do you make sure that your talent doesn’t walk away? The importance comes from being able to hire someone that falls in line with the company goals and values. If an employee can see career growth and is in tune with the company culture, benefits, and environment then it will be very hard for them to walk away. It is well known that when employees feel seen, valued and taken care of by their employers they prefer to stay long-term at their jobs.
However, this is all easier said than done. Sherry Brown says it is important for companies to be consistent in their branding, values, and culture as well as how they treat and value their employees. The company should do assessments of itself to screen if they are living out their core values and brand message for their employees. This is a key factor in being able to retain talent. Employees want to know that their employers care and respect them.
Ultimately, Sherry Brown tells us that firstly, companies need to be able to identify “who” they are as a whole in terms of culture, values and branding. Secondly, identify specific talent based on who they are and see if they are a good match for that. Thirdly, have managers be able to screen successfully with interview questions tailored specifically to those core values. Last but not least, keeping your employees cared for by implementing your brand’s promise goes a long way and will result in long lasting employment.
The ESX Community is a group of passionate professionals who share, learn and brainstorm each year to elevate their game — both personally and professionally.
To create and support this community, ESX focuses on quality engagements and creative ways to encourage interactions and break the ice. It’s time to rethink what an industry event should offer. Stop settling for shallow interactions that leave you lost in a crowd — and join a community of passionate security professionals ready to make a difference.
As an intimate event that focuses on relationships, ESX is defined by the passionate professionals who attend. Networking events focus on shared experiences that forge lasting connections, and the expo floor is designed to give adequate time for in-depth discussions.
By providing these opportunities, ESX becomes a launchpad for new ideas, plans and partnerships that move the industry forward. The networking events included the Opening Celebration and Pub Crawl, and the ESA’s Weinstock Celebration.
The 2022 Opening Celebration, sponsored by Affiliated Monitoring, welcomed security pros with live music and great conversations after a few years away from an in-person ESX.
The Pub Crawl made stops at The Library for games and live music and pros took to the mic for a night of singing at Pete’s Dueling Pianos. Stops were sponsored by JLM Wholesale and immix.
ESX’s NEW Weinstock Celebration provided an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2022 Morris F. Weinstock Person of the Year, Steve Firestone, at ACRE Distilling. Pros were treated to live music, liquor tasting, cigar rolling, and more — all sponsored by ESA’s Diamond Partner, Resideo.
The event promises quality interactions and best practice sharing among leaders in the electronic security and life safety industry. This is THE event for education and networking in the channel — and the 2022 event delivered just that. 
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“ESX is a tremendous opportunity to engage with my industry colleagues in an environment that fosters healthy competition and growth. There are numerous opportunities to educate and grow for the next generation of security industry leaders!”
“ESX is EFFECTIVE! It’s loaded with good education for me and my colleagues, and it has relevant content. I also appreciate the “healthy competition” it fosters.”
“ESX has always been a great social event to meet new and strengthen relationship with both existing suppliers and new suppliers”
“ESX has a great mix of education, networking, motivational, and social time.”
Expo Booth spaces and sponsorships are now available for the 2023 Electronic Security Expo (ESX), a trade show and educational conference owned by the Electronic Security Association (ESA). It will be held June 5-8, with Expo Days June 6-7, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, KY.
ESX is a great place to promote your products or services. Since the ESX expo is specifically designed for electronic security professionals in the pro-installed channel, exhibitors will have the opportunity to showcase their products and/or services by qualified buyers and influencers. This channel-focused expo is large enough to see the latest products and services, and intimate enough to have meaningful business conversations.
In fact, 80% of attendees reported in a recent survey that they will make a purchase or form a partnership as a result of a conversation they had at ESX 2022. With many reporting that purchases have already been executed just two weeks post-event.
“The quality of the conversations we’ve had and the leads that are coming out of this have been fantastic,” says Steven Coughlin, Account Executive at Bold Group and exhibitor at ESX 2022
“We like ESX because it is more intentional,” says Jason Horton, Western US Director at Johnson Controls “People come to ESX to actually learn about the products on the expo floor.”
ESX is designed to provide security professionals with a forum in which to learn about the latest technology innovations, acquire proven business strategies, gain new insights based on best practices, and connect with peers to grow a trusted network. The lowest exhibit space pricing rates (Early-bird rate) will be available until January 1st, 2023, so the event’s organizers encourage security vendors and service providers to reserve soon while the savings last.
Early Bird pricing is $40 per square foot for ESA Member Companies and $42 per square foot for Non-Member Companies. You can learn more about the available booth space at esxweb.com/esx-floor-plan.
Beyond the tradeshow floor is an unparalleled opportunity to position your organization as a leading force in the marketplace. When this focused group comes together to share their ideas and solutions, the industry takes a bold leap forward in setting the pace for its future. ESX is a unique environment — and you have the opportunity to set your company apart through branding and thought leadership opportunities. If you’re interested in additional sponsorship options, take a look at ESX’s sponsorship brochure here: esxweb.com/electronic-security-expo-sponsorship.
The Electronic Security Expo (ESX) is the largest trade show of its kind, specifically designed for the pro-installed channel. It is a great opportunity to learn, network, and grow your company. There are many booths to choose from, in different sizes, to meet your company’s needs.
The ESX team is ready and willing to help all existing and potential exhibitors and sponsors explore all opportunities available at the upcoming 2023 event. Act now, expo booths and sponsorships are limited. Contact one of ESX’s team members to reserve a booth, today.
