CSAA, NBFAA to team for show

VIENNA, Va. and IRVING, Texas--The National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association and the Central Station Alarm Association are collaborating to own and produce "Electronic Security Expo" or "ESX," a new security show focused on the "product, technical and management needs of installing and monitoring companies and the trends toward integration and IP-enabled security systems in the commercial, industrial, institutional and residential markets." The show is set to debut in Nashville in July 2008. CSAA and NBFAA executives noted that because this show will be owned and produced by industry organizations, profits will not go back to a private corporation. "Any profits derived will go back into the show to further develop educational programs," said Steve Doyle, CSAA executive director. EH Events, which also produced Electronic House Expo, will organize the event. "We've been working on putting this together for a while," said George Gunning, president of the NBFAA. The groups expect more than 150 exhibitors and more than 3,500 attendees to converge on Nashville for inaugural show. Educational seminars will run June 25 through 27 and exhibits will run June 26 and 27. Gunning noted that other security shows focus on end users or government and defense, while this conference will focus on the needs of monitoring and installing companies, "big and small." Steve Doyle, CSAA executive vice president, said it was time for the CSAA to take its mid-year meeting, which focuses on education, "to a new level." Working in concert with the NBFAA, "we'll be able to achieve a great educational forum." The CSAA will roll its mid-year meeting into this new show. Other meetings, such as the AIREF and NBFAA board meetings, will also be rolled into this event. "Players in the industry will be able to come there for a few days and probably tick off a number of meetings," Doyle said. What's the response been from members of the industry groups? Merlin Guilbeau, executive director of the NBFAA, said a survey was sent out to 4,000 members of the CSAA and NBFAA. Results were not in by press time. However, Guilbeau said, "The response we've had so far to our survey and to the announcement has been overwhelmingly positive. We've already had a number of companies indicate an interest in exhibiting, and response from our membership has also been positive."