Mass show draws 900

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.—The Northeast Security & Systems Contractors Expo had only been underway for an hour or so, but the parking lot next to the Royal Plaza Trade Center on May 27 was full of alarm company vans and trucks, so latecomers had to park around the corner at the hotel.

That's the way it always goes said Russ Ryan, who produces the show for New England Alarm & Controls Council, this expo reliable draws about 900 attendees year after year.

“It's always 900, plus or minus 20 people,” Ryan said.

The booth count was up almost 20 percent this year, he said. Last year there were 95, and this year, there were 111.

Dave Lyons, VP sales U.S. for System Sensor, called the show “one of the best regional shows in the country.” Richard Roberts, System Sensor industry affairs manager, who was with Lyons in the System Sensor booth had just returned from giving attendees a seminar about CO detection, a topical issue across the country, but something that's of particular interest in the Northeast because of CO mandates in Massachusetts, New York and New Hampshire.

With Lyons and Roberts was John Lombardi, of CIA Security in Fishkill, N.Y., and one of the education chairmen of ESX. Asked if he was promoting ESX at the show, he said he wouldn't pass on the opportunity if someone wanted information.

At the Massachusetts Systems Contractors Association booth, Susan Sullivan, office manager for MSCA was recruiting new members (she had five possibilities early in the day)  and talking to members about MSCA's educational offerings. Julie Robillard. a regional account manager for Centra-Larm who previously worked with MSCA was helping out at the booth. Centra-Larm, which is located just over the border in New Hampshire, had the largest and fanciest booth at the show.

At the USA Central Station Alarm booth Joyce Rosito, who runs USA's Milford, Conn. central, was talking to visitors and serving up red, white and blue cobbler (cherry, apple and blueberry) to passersby.

Brian Seeman who was at the Resolution Products booth, was eager to engage those walking the show floor. Seeman is an engineer who formerly worked with ITI. He launched Resolution Products, which makes alarm peripherals and “takeover translators.” He said he's got more than 100,000 of these takeover translators in the field after just one year in business. The translators enable peripherals and panels made by different manufacturers to talk to each other. “Summer-sales companies love them,” he said. “And the traditional alarm dealers are catching on too,” he added.

One of several central stations at the show was Nexgeneration Central of Rhode Island. Matthew Bergeron and Dorothy Pimental were staffing the booth. This past year was a big year for Nexgeneration: It transitioned from being a regional central to being a national company.

Ryan said he works had to target the right attendee for this one-day show, which will happen again in 2011, same time, same place.