Subscriber Discussion

ISC West - Worth It For A Dabbler? Get In Free

U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 22, 2014

Call me cheesy but I love Vegas! So when I heard this year's show was in Sin City, I got a hankering to saddle-up and hit the trail. But $150 bucks ain't chicken feed to me, so I was wondering, for more of a do-it-myselfer who just wants to be dazzled by the latest and greatest, is it like CES, just smaller and about security? Is it really just for them hard-core access control folk?

On the other hand I would have sworn I saw a discussion about a possible IPVM roundup there, but I can't seem to find it. That alone would make it worth the trip, (that and the Bellagio Poker Room for any sharks out there). But from what I gather from last year at least a couple made the trip. But IPVM shindig or not I'll be scanning those name tags for y'all, if I do decide to show.

I'm posting as undisclosed in case I meetup with you in the poker room, somethin tells me Bri can bluff your socks off!

JH
John Honovich
Mar 22, 2014
IPVM

The exhibits themselves are free. What do you mean by $150? It's whatever the cost of hotel and travel is.

If you have never been, I think it's worth going to.

It's basically though the same thing every year so it's not as exciting for repeat trips, unless you like Vegas, but that's a whole other story.

Probably no IPVM roundup this year!

U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 22, 2014

The exhibits themselves are free.

I reckon thats only for your security elite.

But my last name is only A, not Honovich or Major, Lindgren or even Erenthal for that matter, and unless I'mma reading this wrong its a buck and a half for the unwashed masses...

Maybe next year for the roundup then?

And this year I'll just introduce myself to every Alex with a last name starting with K...

JH
John Honovich
Mar 22, 2014
IPVM

Only suckers pay full price. There's tons of free ISC West registration links floating around.

Alex K will be wearing an Avigilon cape and carrying an Avigilon lunchbox, hard to miss actually...

AK
Alex K
Mar 22, 2014

At least lots of people will be happy to meet me

and I have ? for you.

Is it true that you coming to LV with few bodyguards ?

JH
John Honovich
Mar 22, 2014
IPVM

Schmode is lending me his. Swell guy.

AK
Alex K
Mar 22, 2014

That great !

I guess see you at Avigilon booth

I really want to have picture

You ,me and bodyguards :)

JH
John Honovich
Mar 22, 2014
IPVM

Don't get your hopes up.

AK
Alex K
Mar 22, 2014

No worries with me you are safe

Who is going to do ISC coverage from IPVM ?

JH
John Honovich
Mar 22, 2014
IPVM

You'll see at the show.

TG
Tedor Gligorich
Mar 22, 2014

Alex, I would be flattered to send you my own personal report back from the field, that is if we don't get to actually rub our shoulders together?

I will be really leaning forward to see all of my fellow peers during the exhibition!

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Mar 23, 2014

FYI: John will be attending 'a la Schmode'.

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Mar 27, 2014

Schmode is lending me his.

That makes sense considering some of the rumors swirling around ISC (created by the vacuum of valid announcements), that say that in a further strategic occupational consolidation, Bryan has hired several combination "Boothbabe / Bodyguard" types for his own use.

In addition to providing physical protection, the deployment of the so-called "Babe Guards" reduces the appearance of cowardice that can occur with traditional bodyguards while at the same increasing his percieved masculinity. This is just how he rolls... ;)

JH
Jim Hall
Mar 27, 2014

This is just how he rolls... ;)

In other words his schmodus operandus?

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Mar 22, 2014

Only suckers pay full price.

'A', don't let it bother you, be a sucker if need be, you'll be happier and I'll tell you why:

There is a considerable body of evidence in cognitive psychology supporting the notion that people that pay more for something will naturally adjust their perception of events to avoid dissonance.

Simply put if you pay a large sum of money to goto the show, you will have a really hard time not loving the show, regardless of its actual value. Think of it as entertainment insurance! So go the whole hog, pay your $150 a head, and bring your unwashed masses and your unwashed missus too! Like they say, The more money, the merrier!

Old Jewish Joke: Why did God create the Gentiles? Somebody's got to pay retail!

Avatar
Brian Rhodes
Mar 22, 2014
IPVMU Certified

With due respect: what?

Only suckers pay to get in. If anything, the gate fee is impressive so exhibitors can claim they are giving you a $150 value to justify sending you all that spam and junk mail for decades afterward.

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Mar 24, 2014

With due respect: what?

Silly me I forgot the smiley face. ;)

Does that help? ;)

Avatar
Brian Rhodes
Mar 24, 2014
IPVMU Certified
TG
Tedor Gligorich
Mar 25, 2014

Even with my slippery grasp of your natives tongue, I am still 'quite a sharp tack' when it comes to 'sayings' and the like ilk.

So I tell on you this: You may be due due*.

Watch that Brian failed to give you "all due respect", instead dropping the all from the due and giving just some of the due. Whether that is all the due due, is between you, Brian and as they say the Devil! Now go laugh.

*Stop laughing.

Avatar
Carl Lindgren
Mar 22, 2014

And if you get really bored at the show, you can always unwind at Hogs and Heifers Saloon in downtown LV. I guarantee a visit will change your perspective ;-\

KL
Keefe Lovgren
Mar 25, 2014
IPVMU Certified

what has two thumbs and paid for admission? this guy (holding thumbs up) hope to see many of you there...

U
Undisclosed #3
Mar 25, 2014

The trick is to register for $150 but don't finish the process when it asks you to pay. In my business this called an abandoned cart. They must do abandoned cart analysis because the next day they sent me a free invite. This is common in retail, you log into an e-tail site, go buy something on website but abandon the cart just before you pay. In a few days you may get an offer, 20% off, $10 coupon, something to entise you to finish what you started.

I did this because I registered early. If you wait until 2 weeks before the show, just about every vendor out there sends you an invite if you previously attended the show.

It's hard to compare this to CES as it's 10X larger with 150K people vs. about 15K. The biggest draw to CES is the AVN awards (if you have to ask, fuggedaboutit). What's nice about ICS is there's no other big show going on so hotel is super cheap, I'm paying $18/nt for a 3 1/2 star hotel and I'm generally not cheap about hotels. Clearly the closer to the Venitian, the more you pay.

U
Undisclosed #2
Mar 25, 2014

$18/night?

are you sure it's a hotel and not a hostel?

U
Undisclosed #3
Mar 25, 2014

Yes, super cheap trip especially because I drive to Vegas from So Cal. Staying at the LVH (used to be the Las Vegas Hilton) and about 1 1/2 miles, so $10 cab ride or I can drive and park free at a closer hotel. Also, there's shuttle buses for free to many hotels. What's ironic is the LVH is $250/nt during CES. My installer and I have contest every year to see who can find the cheapest decent hotel (3 star mininum). The one I found was $25 at Hooters or $27 at the Riveria

KL
Keefe Lovgren
Mar 25, 2014
IPVMU Certified

free addmission and $18/night hotel rooms? apparently i overpaid last year and this year... the one thing i learned from last year is you may save money on a hotel that is downtown but you pay it back in cab rides... didn't make that mistake when booking this year...

CP
Carlton Purvis
Mar 27, 2014

The "abandoned cart" trick ESPECIALLY works with hotels in places like Vegas and other tourist destinations. You can find some pretty good deals.

Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Mar 25, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

If you're serious about security and you have the opportunity to go, you'll be there. If you can be there but aren't, you just aren't really in the security business.

Me, I can't get the time off work, and they won't pay for my plane ticket anyway. So I'll be here. If I could go, though, I would.

JH
John Honovich
Mar 25, 2014
IPVM

"If you can be there but aren't, you just aren't really in the security business."

That's quite a strong statement.

ISC West is great for meeting people, networking, working on deals, etc. but not very useful for learning about new products or technology, considering (1) there is not a lot of new stuff recently and (2) you can get far more details, far quicker online.

Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Mar 25, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

Sorry. Allow me to rephrase.

If you can be there but aren't, you aren't in security sales.

I'd also say there's no comparison between reading a spec sheet and going hands-on with a project, but I will admit that perhaps it isn't worth the time and money to travel to a show for technicians and installers. As for me, I'm more comfortable recommending product I've played with personally. It's hard to say how flimsy or how solidly a camera is built from a spec sheet. It's hard to say how smoothly a lens focuses from a spec sheet. It's hard to say how intuitive a software interface is from a spec sheet (or a video).

Besides, I can usually find some kind of flaw in a product by playing with it for a few minutes, and no manufacturer is going to show that in a spec sheet or videa (which is one of the many reasons IPVM is so valuable, unbiased reviews of stuff I can't examine personally).

There's no substitute for personal experience, even for just a few minutes.

I wouldn't take the day off and pay for my own plane tickets, but I would recommend anyone attend who can.

JH
John Honovich
Mar 27, 2014
IPVM

Btw, new product announcements are shaping up to be the weakest I have ever seen. If you are going, plan other entertainment. If you are not, be glad.

Avatar
Ross Vander Klok
Mar 27, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Phew! I was beginning to be concerned about not going……

YL
Yair Lax
Mar 27, 2014
ISC West is one of the most important shows for anybody involved in the security / integration business. I've been religiously attending for years. Unlike the northeast shows where anybody with a pair of wire cutters and a screw driver gets in to a car, train, or bus and in a few hours they are able to attend. ISC West attendes are primarily senior level executives from most companies. Attending requires some serious time and financial investment. The 1st rule in economics is not what you know it's who you know. If you know your way around Las Vegas you can live like a king for very little money. I was @ CES one week for hotel and car $313.00 all fees included. ISC west I found RT air and hotel JFK - LAS via JetBlue NON STOP flights and the LVH hotel $527.51 for TWO people staying in one room. Yes, flight and hotel !!! For approximately $75 more you can stay @ the Hard Rock Hotel. Don't be misled by the low prices online most hotels have a resort fee ranging from $15 - $25 per night which is usually non negotiable. Some trade shows do negotiate with the hotels to waive the fee but you must register through the trade show company. Remember the old saying what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, that has changed to "WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS LANDS UP ON FACEBOOK" !!!!
U
Undisclosed #3
Mar 27, 2014

I agree, can't get much a much cheaper venue than Vegas or a more serious event than ISC West. The resorts fees do double the cost of my stay, LOL, $18 for the hotel + $18 resort fee but it does include internet which many big hotels throughout the country charge $10-13 for these days anyway, just part of the culture of Las Vegas and half the time I got them to waive it. The other gotcha is the taxis, they love to take the long way via the freeway, $30 to a mid-strip hotel from the airport, $18 if you ask them to avoid the freeway, take Paradise and it may be quicker. The cabbies have seen it all. My co-worker asked the cabby for a big black tranny hooker, he handed us a big loseleaf book of all the hookers in the town. Sadly for my coworker, no big black tranny hookers in the book.

MB
Marc Beningson
Mar 27, 2014

Well thanks for reminding me that although I made my travel arrangements weeks ago, I had forgotten to register for the exhibits. So off I go to register and it's $80 online until April 1 then $150 on site. So one email to favorite vendor rep, and I'm registered for free. Took less time that actually registering on ISC web site.

so John, no party? Well then see you all there. See linkedin for my new position.

Avatar
Steve Beck
Mar 27, 2014

Product wise this ISC West will be very status quo. Anything new released or announced will be pretty ho-hum. The market is just in holding pattern right now. I have booked a record number of parties with free meals so that should make up for weak product offering. Especially with the winter we have had I don't mind hitting the pool instead of seeing another 5MP camera. I've noticed a higher amount of manufactures throwing parties this year. Anyone else seeing that?

Avatar
Ross Vander Klok
Mar 27, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Dang it now I want to go again.....

Avatar
Ethan Ace
Mar 27, 2014

Steve just delivered the best feedback on this topic ever.

Avatar
Benjamin Kirk
Mar 27, 2014

Ben with StarDot Technologies here,

For anyone needing a pass, you are more than welcome to sign up for a free pass using StarDot's guest pass link .... save the $150 and put it on black!

U
Undisclosed
Mar 29, 2014

whoa a million replies. worth it if you're in the biz because with all the chlidish vendors sometimes this is the only place you can get signal. everyone and his dog's cousin has a link to a vendor who gives away tickets. if you don't have a contact who's shared an email, dig harder in the social networks and online forums. good people will make an honorable attempt to share. vendors love it - they get paid for the traffic. why do you think the asian waifs scan your badge outside the camera vendor's booth even if you're running past at 100 mph?

i >>>really<< try to have an open mind about Avigilon even though I read IPVM.COM. And then John posts that video clip. Must I continue to conclude they are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?

P.s. just turned on twitter (ghm) and I see some sort of ipvm beer meet-up tweet?

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