Skip to Content

NSS turnout sluggish, despite encouraging pre-registrant numbers

NSS turnout sluggish, despite encouraging pre-registrant numbers

October 9, 2003 WASHINGTON - Less than a week after the closing of the National Summit on Security Show, an ISC Expo event, the exhibition company that runs the show is already working to find out why attendance at this show was low. Though Reed Exhibitions showed it had more than 7,500 pre-registrants the Monday prior to the show’s Oct. 1 opening, a 20 percent increase compared with the ISC Expo held in Orlando, Fla., last year, the number of people who actually attended the event was less than expected, according to Reed officials. But the exact tally on how many people actually attended the show was not available by deadline for the Security Systems News Newswire. “There was some disappointment with quantity and volume of traffic,” said Dean Russo, industry vice president, ISC events. Over the next month, Russo said Reed Exhibitions plans to contact pre-registered attendees who did not show up for the show and poll them on their decision not to attend. The lack of traffic prompted some exhibitors to tear down their booth prior to the show closing at 3 p.m. on Oct. 3. “We have an aisle that’s half full,” said David McLean, marketing manager for Fluke Networks during the show. The company exhibited in the 100/200 aisle and saw neighboring exhibitors pull out of the show a day early. Others, such as home security product company Linear Corp., saw only 25 percent of the traffic it typically gets at its booth, prompting company officials to send home four salespeople a day early. But despite the sluggish turnout, Russo said for some exhibitors “there was some positive return on contacts that were made” with the likes of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Treasury, Department of Homeland Security and others attending the event. That’s the new audience the event, held in Washington for the first time, sought to attract in conjunction with the traditional security dealer audience the show has been geared toward for years. For the complete story, see the November issue of Security Systems News.

Comments

To comment on this post, please log in to your account or set up an account now.