The 40th year of Security Essen proved to be a great success receiving 40,000 visitors, and seeing 1,045 exhibitors from around 40 nations demonstrating a range of innovative security solutions at the end of September – including global giants such as Bosch, Panasonic, Sony and Siemens. For the first time, the global event provided a platform for more than 40 market segments, from mechanical and digital security technology via fire protection and video surveillance right up to IT security and counter-terrorism. This comprehensive overview of the market attracted about 40,000 trade visitors from more than 110 countries.
“With these very good figures, Security Essen has impressively highlighted that it is the worldwide number one in the sector,” said Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen. “Together with the global security industry, we are pleased about the unsurpassed quality of the range on offer, internationality and participation.”
The success of Security Essen 2014 was spurred on by the overall positive attitude in the industry. In Germany alone, the security industry saw turnover of nearly Euro 12 billion in the past year – worldwide, the market volume of the sector is estimated at Euro 120 billion. Prospects for the future are also optimistic, with almost 96 per cent of the trade visitors to Messe Essen expecting this development of the security market to continue. One in three visitors indicated that their companies want to invest high six-figure amounts in security technology next year – particularly in access control, video surveillance and fire protection solutions.
The majority of the exhibiting companies rated their participation in Security Essen as successful and a further 88 per cent are expecting good post-event business, including major corporations like Genetec.
“At this year’s edition of Essen Security show, Genetec had chosen to be present on the technology partners booths in order to showcase the joint solutions in video surveillance and access control, thus emphasising the openness and seamless integrations of our IP unified security platform.
This year was thus a new and exciting experience, strategically oriented towards the collaboration with our ecosystem. It allowed us not only to better deploy the security solutions we develop together, but also to meet with joint customers and address new clients,” said Jean Philippe Deby, Genetec Sales Director for Western Europe.
Solutions for IT Security
Throughout this year’s event one of the most prevalent topics being discussed was IT security. According to estimates made by experts, industrial espionage and cyber crime caused damage amounting to USD 400 billion worldwide in the past year. Security Essen offered information and solutions for the industry, from constructional bugging protection and secure IT hardware right up to data protection for mobile terminals.
The State Secretary at the Federal Chancellery Klaus-Dieter Fritsche, Federal Government Commissioner for the Federal Intelligence Services, and Dr. Hans-Georg Maaßen, President of the Domestic Intelligence Service of the Federal Republic of Germany, made a joint visit to the event to explore solutions to protect the economy.
Security Essen’s position as a leading global event was also demonstrated in the level of international interest. 39 per cent of visitors to the exhibition had travelled from abroad – an increase of nearly ten per cent – and they were not let down.
“We have been participating for several years at the security in Essen and it is one of our main events in Middle Europe. 2014 has not been a disappointment: our booth in Hall 2.0 was packed with people who wanted to know more about IP-video. This year we also launched our product portfolio for access control and it was very interesting to see the reaction of the market and to answer all the questions of the booth visitors. The variety of people, exhibitors and media in Middle Europe is only given at this fair”, said Edwin Roobol, Regional Director Middle Europe at Axis Communications.
In addition, Dan Eames, Operations Director for SeSys said, “This year’s event was very successful for SeSys, and it was refreshing to meet such a different range of people to the norm. We were encourage by the event and are we have generated a range of promising leads.”
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy used Essen as the platform to continue bilateral dialogue with China about collaboration in disaster risk management. On the first day of the show, high-ranking representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic arrived for the Perspectives of German-Chinese Technological Cooperation in Disaster Risk Management conference.
A large number of other countries also dispatched delegations to the event, including Morocco, Norway, the USA and the United Arab Emirates.
Visitors and exhibitors praised the range on offer at the fair and the very high quality of the visitors, including NVT.
Paul Speller, Network Video Technologies, General Manager UK & EMEA, said “Security Essen is a very professionally managed show. From NVT’s experience the quality of visitors was very good, with many asking us to submit detailed information for their live installations and future projects. Most enquiries tabled were about the benefits of reusing existing building cable infrastructure; essentially to migrate analogue based systems, like CCTV surveillance, access control and intercom, to IP transmission.
“They were particularly interested to hear how quick and easy it is to deploy ‘IP over any cable’ PoE Power & Ethernet transmission over distances well beyond 100m, with no repeaters and using any legacy cable, particular vs. the use of conventional IEEE 802.3ab standard based IP/PoE deployment on Cat5/6. We’ll definitely be retuning to the show in two years time!”
Supporting Programme
This year’s supporting programme offered a range of specialist lectures as well as Technology Live in Action, to outstanding response. Around 100 lectures in the two Security Forums accompanying the event presented solutions to a range of current challenges in the sector, with IT security being a key theme here as well.
Twice a day, visitors were able to experience technical innovations live in the ActionCentre. Here, civil flying robots for site surveillance were demonstrated, and security films for windows or glazed doors were tested with iron ball bearings, Molotov cocktails and explosion attempts. In the Action Centre there were also a range of fire suppression installations and CAFS fire extinguishing appliances live in use. Security Essen also supported the industry by promoting the next generation with a Training and Further Education Day where schoolchildren, lateral entrants and students were able to obtain information about training courses and occupational perspectives in the security industry.
Security Essen Innovation Award
The Security Innovation Award: Outstanding New Products Distinguished The Security Innovation Award attracted great attention in 2014. A total of 95 companies put themselves forward as candidates for the mark of distinction for particularly pioneering innovations this year. The prize winners included the multifunctional security door called Secufire from Sälzer GmbH, the flexible electronic admission and access protection designated as pyware anywhere from Lock Your World GmbH & Co. KG as well as the miniature extinguishing system named E-Bulb from JOB GmbH.
Another winner was Raytec, which won a Security Essen Technology Innovation award for its new VARIO IPPoE range of network illuminators. The UK CCTV lighting manufacturer fought off tough competition and beat six other big names in manufacturing to win the bronze title at the exhibition. VARIO IPPoE enables users to not only control their IP cameras remotely, but to also control their lighting in the same way too, for the highest level of security and safety 24/7.
With a view to 2016, 92 per cent of visitors and 86 per cent of exhibitors indicated that they would be involved in the 22nd Security Essen on September 27 – 30, 2016.
[su_button url=”http://www.security-essen.de/impetus_provider/” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#df2027″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]Find out more[/su_button]