The exposition industry could be coming out of the brinks of recession, if new numbers from the International Security Conference and Exposition West [ISC] are any indication.
 
ISC announced last week that the security event saw a 10.1 percent increase in attendance for their 2011 show which hosts over 25,000 security professionals in Las Vegas at the Sands Exposition and Convention Center, which took place April 6 to 8. The results will also undergo a third party audit.
 
Senior Vice President for ISC, Ed Several, says the attendance can be attributed to a successful research strategy.
 
“It begins with having a product that is built on customer insights,” Several says. “We worked extensively to understand what end users, integrators and dealers were interested in seeing and then we reached out and created content built around both education and exhibitor delivery, in terms of having the category of products that customers were asking for on the show floor,” he says, adding, “That’s why the show floor grew to be larger than it was last year.”
 
The show saw a seven percent increase in end users.
 
Before the show’s launch the group worked to find new categories of exhibitors that attendees were interested in seeing through vetting focus groups, conducting surveys and carrying out customer research.

There were over 10,000 products showcased from more than 900 exhibiting companies at the most recent show. Some of the notable manufactures included ADT, Panasonic, Samsung Techwin Americas and Sony Electronics. The show also boasted 15,000 square feet of additional space.
 
“This year’s event turned a fresh page on the future of security,” Several says. “ISC West continues to be a barometer of good things to come for the remainder of 2011 and beyond.”