I’ve a feeling we’re not in New York anymore

So, after two days of meetings, educational sessions and special events at an event filled with thousands of security professionals, GSX 2024 may not be the safest place to be after all.

Here in sunny, hot and humid Orlando, Fla., we are wrapping up the annual end user-based show with the threat of a hurricane. Guess it’s not a surprise given we are in hurricane season down here, but can’t Mother Nature spare us and allow everyone to get out of Orlando safely before the storm hits?  

Obviously, we have no control over the weather gods, so we just have to grin and bear it and pray that we go wheels up before Hurricane Helene arrives.

As word spread that the path of Helene would lead to very strong winds and heavy rain in the Orlando area, GSX attendees scrambled to book earlier flights on Tuesday night or during the day Wednesday to “get out of Dodge.” Those who live in Florida gave various predictions on when the storm would arrive where we are, leading to dueling feelings of panic or relief that we could leave Orlando safely or be stuck here through the weekend.

The Security Systems News crew – Brad Durost and I – tried but were unable to secure flights earlier than our scheduled 5:55 p.m. ET flight, leaving us hoping with fingers crossed that our plane could take off before the hurricane arrives.

ASIS International, which hosts GSX, sent out an email on Tuesday that it was “closely monitoring the development of Hurricane Helene and its potential impact on the Orlando area,” and that “At this time, current forecasts indicate that the hurricane will not directly impact the Orlando area during the time in which the show is scheduled. The GSX event will continue as planned, including all events and activities through 3:00 p.m. EST, Sept. 25.”

Before the threat of Helene became THE topic of conversation on the show floor, it was a jam-packed couple of days filled with meetings with top-level executives on the latest goings-on with their respective companies, demos of the latest security technology on the market, educational sessions on topics such as how to take a hybrid physical security approach to protecting critical infrastructure, and how to build a cyber-resilient supply chain using an AI risk management framework.

You’ll hear more about our GSX meetings and sessions in the coming days on our website and in our November issue. For now, I just want to get home safely to my family. Although spending a few extra days in Orlando might sound very appealing to some, I don’t think Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy will be greeting anyone at Walt Disney World during a hurricane.

I’ve enjoyed this year’s GSX, but like Dorothy said in “The Wizard of Oz,” there’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.