Genetec installs its unified security platform at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC)

Genetec’s Security Center enabled NEC to integrate its video surveillance with Omnicast and traffic management with AutoVu

Genetec, a pioneer in the physical security industry and a leading provider of world-class unified IP security solutions, announced that Europe's busiest exhibition centre, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, UK, recently completed installation of Genetec Security Center as its unified security platform to manage its integrated security and traffic management requirements. 

The NEC occupies a 610-acre site, with more than 186,000 square meters of covered exhibition space across 20 interconnecting halls. Every year, the venue welcomes more than 3 million visitors with 140 trade and consumer events, including one of the security industry’s main European shows, IFSEC, as well as blockbusting concerts and sports events at LG Arena, located on the same site. 

When the NEC embarked on a total overhaul of its ageing security and traffic control systems, they wanted to replace it with a brand new IP-based open platform solution. By choosing Genetec Security Center, the NEC was able to integrate its video surveillance with Genetec Omnicast, and traffic management with Genetec AutoVu, together with third party access control and video analytics solutions. Following a smooth installation with no interruption in service, the NEC has now installed 350 surveillance cameras throughout the venue, as well as 42 Genetec AutoVu fixed License Plate Recognition (LPR cameras) and one mobile LPR camera on a patrol vehicle to monitor traffic going in and out of the exhibition centre.

Aside from traffic management, security personnel at the NEC also use AutoVu to monitor shuttle bus frequency, grant access to select parking areas, and get alerts when a “wanted” vehicle is identified, so NEC security personnel can immediately coordinate with local law enforcement authorities.

"The West Midlands Police receives all the number plate reads to their police control room and uses the system to check against hotlists for wanted criminals, stolen vehicles, or for general investigations as part of a much wider LPR network on the public roads and highways,” says Gary Masters, NEC Group Security and Traffic Operations Manager.

Inside the NEC Venue Operations Centre—equipped with 12 46-inch video monitoring displays across five operator desks—security staff conduct both passive and active monitoring. When there is a tradeshow or conference in place, they can easily increase the number of operators working from the unified security platform.

"Our operators have adapted extremely well to the new Genetec technology,” said Gary Masters. “In fact, the transition went much better than expected, and we have achieved some excellent outcomes, resulting in arrests thanks to the new system. Our operators are able to easily review the data, moving between systems to track incidents and provide excellent quality evidence.”

The NEC is now also leveraging Genetec Security Center for two very unique business applications. On the video side, the security team has set up a dedicated exhibitor server and is leasing video surveillance services to exhibitors during trade shows and events. With temporary cameras installed, this revenue-generating application is facilitated by partitions in Security Center. On the LPR side of the system, the NEC has made a VIP parking service available to visitors by using AutoVu for gated access control. Exhibitor attendees can now go online and book their VIP parking in advance, using their vehicle number plate. Upon entering the parking lot, the AutoVu cameras scan the vehicle number plate, compare it to the pre-paid database, which then allows or denies entry.

The next plans the NEC have for the continued extension of its Omnicast installation, is to provide remote video access to the police. Beyond that, the NEC also plans to implement the same security system design at its sister venue, The National Indoor Arena in central Birmingham. Thanks to the Federation features of Security Center, which seamlessly bridge independent sites as one virtual system, the NEC will be able to monitor all activities across all their sites from their main Operations Centre, while still keeping server and storage facilities independent.