SIR – I read Michael Jasper’s Letter To The Editor in the July edition of Security Management Today (‘Isn’t it time this industry grew up?’, pp12-14) and, while sharing his thoughts on equality, I believe that Michael is missing the point when it comes to exhibitions.

I have been involved with the IT industry for the past 18 years and, during that time, attended an annual event every year at the NEC. That exhibition was called ‘Networks’. In the early days, the aisles and stands were full of scantily-clad young women and lots of young men sporting designer suits. The industry was a buoyant one looking at massive growth year-on-year and, in turn, ‘Networks’ gradually became bigger and better. Exhibitors began to use even more eye-catching methods to promote their services.

Sadly, margins then began to drop and, eventually, many exhibitors started to shy away from the exhibition as it became a shadow of its former self. Visitors were still able to see a ‘showcase’ of products but there was no longer any sense of ‘razzamatazz’. They drifted away, and the exhibition was no more.

For the past couple of years I have visited both IFSEC and the IIPSEC Show. This year at IFSEC was the first time that I have felt the industry to be a healthy and growing concern that was showing off its many and diverse products while looking to invest in the future. The exhibition catered for all practitioners within the security industry, while providing a little light relief from what can be endless gangways of sometimes indistinguishable products and services.

Equally, in days gone by I have stood on an exhibition stand for two or three days at major events and dealt with numerous questions – some of which were asked by people who obviously wanted to demonstrate their superior knowledge about any given product or service. By the end of the first day, even the female members of staff were heard to pass comment on passing ‘hunks’ as a way of breaking the monotony.

I can only summarise by stating that the security industry is not a dinosaur, but rather a growth sector with a tremendous future.

We should always remember the fact that ‘people buy from people’. When we lose sight of the truism that we are all different, the industry will be the poorer for it.

Gordon Burkinshaw, Business Development Manager, Hedley 2000

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SMT