Texecom - Experts & Thought Leaders

Skills for Security has continued its collaboration with WorldSkills UK for the 2025 season, announcing the Electronic Security and Fire competitions will be merged into a single category. This strategic move aims to enhance the competition’s impact, broadening the scope for participants to demonstrate expertise in both electronic security and fire safety systems. By integrating these two crucial areas, the competition better mirrors the evolving demands, ensuring future professionals are equipped with comprehensive skills to meet industry needs. Integrated fire safety and security  Says Darrell Gilmour, Director of Technical Training at Skills for Security: “By combining the Electronic Security and Fire competitions, we are ensuring that competitors develop a well-rounded skill set that reflects today’s integrated fire safety and security industry. We believe this evolution will benefit both competitors and the sector as a whole.” Applications for the competition will open at 9:00 AM on 3rd March 2025 and close on 17th March 2025. The National Qualifiers will be held at The Security Event (TSE) on the Skills for Security stand (5/D130) across three dates, bringing together 36 of the most talented competitors from across the UK. Range of training opportunities Skills for Security will also be actively engaging with attendees at the key industry event Skills for Security will also be actively engaging with attendees at the key industry event, highlighting the wide range of training opportunities and initiatives available to support talent development within the fire safety and security sector. David Scott, Managing Director of Skills for Security, added: “It is always a pleasure to host the competition qualifiers at The Security Event, where we can demonstrate the incredible skills and talent emerging." Next generation of security professionals Scott added: "Skills for Security remains committed to nurturing the next generation of security professionals, and this competition is a real opportunity to highlight the importance of continuous training and development in our sector.” The competition is sponsored by the CSL Group, The Security Event and Texecom. With additional support from Eaton, Yuasa Battery, NSI, SSAIB, Fenix Monitoring, Honeywell and Dahua, all of whom are dedicated to supporting excellence and innovation within the fire safety and security sector. The Security Event is taking place 8 – 10 April at NEC Birmingham.

Texecom is delighted to announce the appointment of Darren Jackson as its new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Darren brings over two decades of senior management experience, with a proven ability to deliver strategic growth and foster strong customer and stakeholder relationships across industries, including monitoring technology, telecommunications, and financial services. Darren Jackson Renowned for his hands-on leadership style and results-driven approach, Darren has built and led high-performance sales teams, negotiated significant contracts, and implemented innovative sales strategies. His focus on customer success and service excellence has consistently delivered exceptional results throughout his career. Culture and commitment On joining Texecom, Darren said, "I’m excited to join such a forward-thinking company with a strong culture and commitment to innovation." "My focus is on building lasting relationships with our customers and delivering excellence at every level. Together, we will drive growth, strengthen our offerings, and strive to exceed expectations." CEO comments Texecom CEO, David Mountfield, added, "Darren’s expertise and vision align perfectly with our strategy for long-term success. His deep understanding of customer needs and his passion for building exceptional teams make him an invaluable addition to Texecom as we continue to innovate and evolve." Texecom is committed to advancing its solutions and service offerings, ensuring continued value for customers, stakeholders, and employees under Darren’s leadership.

Texecom, a pioneer in innovative professional security solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Mountfield as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1st November 2024. With over two years of dedicated service as Chief Revenue Officer, David has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a strong vision for Texecom’s future. His experience in strategic development and commitment to quality aligns seamlessly with the company’s core values. Innovate and deliver solutions “Texecom has a clear mission: to deliver superior products and services that safeguard and empower our clients,” said David Mountfield, adding “I feel honoured to take on the role of CEO, pioneering a talented team that shares this vision. Together, we will continue to innovate and deliver trusted solutions that enhance security and bring peace of mind to our clients.”  Texecom’s Chairman, Duncan Cooper, will return to his role after serving as interim CEO. Advancing security technology Duncan Cooper expressed his gratitude to those who supported him in this transitional period, commenting, “Under David’s leadership, I look forward to a period of sustained, profitable growth for Texecom.” Texecom’s commitment to advancing security technology remains steadfast, and the appointment of David Mountfield as CEO marks an exciting new chapter in the company’s journey.

The focus of the global security industry will shift to London this month for IFSEC International, Europe’s ‘integrated’ security event focusing on the latest technologies and the opportunity to learn from the industry’s top leaders and experts. IFSEC will be held from 18-20 June, 2019, at ExCel London, welcoming 27,000 security directors and managers, installers, integrators and distributors. The exhibition at IFSEC may not be as large as previous years, and several big players are conspicuously absent. Even so, there will be plenty of innovation on display, including big exhibitors such as Avigilon, Axis, Dahua, dormakaba, FLIR, Genetec, Hanwha Techwin, HID Global, Hikvision, IDIS, and Uniview. Exhibitions will likely reflect a continuing shift in emphasis away from individual products and toward integrated solutions, including some end-to-end solutions provided by single manufacturers. Also, likely to be abundantly evident at IFSEC will be a trend toward manufacturers who partner together to provide integrated solutions. For example, look for some manufacturers to host other manufacturers at kiosks within their stands. Texecom will explain the value of training and digital services and their impact on the future of the industryValue of security training Emphasis will continue to be on the practical aspects of using technology: Throughout the show floor, designated technicians wearing ‘Show Me How’ badges will provide demonstrations of products and solutions on display at the various stands. Texecom will explain the value of training and digital services and their impact on the future of the industry. The Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) Attack Testing Zone features LPCB’s security experts conducting live attack tests on a range of perimeter and façade security products, as well as safes, security enclosures and padlocks. More than 35 hours of seminar sessions will cover timely topics such as ‘Future Proof your CCTV Networks’, ‘Social Media and Internet Security’ and ‘AI and Machine Learning for Security’. Security topics at the Keynote Arena This year, topics will include video analytics, AI, machine learning, GDPR, Brexit and security in smart citiesThe new programme will replicate last year’s successful changes. The Keynote Arena will again be placed at the heart of IFSEC, sponsored by Western Digital. The Keynote Arena will host influential speakers and real-life case studies to inspire attendees. Topical issues will take front and centre, from cybersecurity to ethical and legal challenges to extremism. This year, topics will also include video analytics, AI, machine learning, GDPR, Brexit and security in smart cities. The Future of Security Theatre will present CPD-accredited sessions and presentations that share a vision of the industry’s future and answer burning questions about critical topics, technologies and issues. Education partner Tavcom will present the programme of education dedicated to the ideas, products and innovations driving the industry’s development. The Converged Security Theatre will highlight new approaches that combine cyber and physical defences to tackle dangerous security threats. Included will be real-time technical solutions enhanced by artificial intelligence, powered by Vidsys and partners. Participation by government organisations The Government Pavilion will feature representatives from government bodies such as JSaRC, DIT, and DSOFor the third consecutive year, The Government Pavilion will feature representatives from government bodies such as JSaRC (Home Office & Counter Terror Unit), the Department of International Trade (DIT), and the Defence & Security Organization (DSO). New this year will be participation by the British Transport Police. IFSEC 2019 will again present a snapshot of how manufacturers from across video, access control and intrusion detection are continuing to innovate and collaborate to stay competitive in the challenging market. Innovations first unveiled in the spring at the ISC West 2019 show in the United States will be promoted anew for the European and global markets. IFSEC will be co-locating with FIREX International, a dedicated fire safety event that attracts 18,000 fire prevention and protection professionals; the FACILITIES Show highlighting building management and workplace technologies; and the Safety & Health Expo, dedicated to innovative health and safety products. IFSEC attendees can access the Smart Buildings Expo, the Workplace Wellbeing Show, and the Sprinkler & Suppression Presentation Area within the co-located events.

There is a new event on the calendar for the security industry in 2019: The Security Event 2019, 9-11 April, at NEC, Birmingham. For additional details and a preview of the new trade show and conference, we spoke with Tristan Norman, Founding Partner and Event Director, The Security Event. Q: It seems recently that some trade shows have been on the decline in terms of exhibit size and attendance. Why does the physical security industry need another trade show? Norman: I think there are numerous factors that play into the decline of trade shows in general and not something that is limited to the security industry. Those events that are suffering are no longer serving their target market or have failed to adapt to the changes in the industry they serve. However, what we are seeing now is the rise of focused, more “evolved” trade events which fulfil a gap in the industry event calendar and provide something new and fresh to a disillusioned audience. Q: What will be unique about The Security Event, and what role will it serve in bringing together buyers and sellers in the market? Where (geographically) will attendees come from? What we are seeing is a rise of trade events which provide something fresh to a disillusioned audience Norman: The driving ethos behind The Security Event is that we are “designed by the industry, for the industry.” We were able to start with a blank canvas and take onboard all the feedback from stakeholders throughout the security buying chain and create an event that is sustainable and fit for purpose. We see the role of the event as a very important one – to truly reconnect the currently fragmented UK commercial security industry, back at the NEC in Birmingham. We had originally anticipated that this would be an almost-exclusively UK event in year one. However, we have seen significant interest from potential visitors from across the wider EMEA region who are keen to do business in the UK. We formed a strategic alliance with Security Essen to help facilitate and strengthen our reach in these regions through additional marketing and PR activities. Consequently, early registrations indicate that it will be approximately an 80% UK and 20% international split. Q: What conference programming is being planned to augment the trade show event? Norman: Content will be delivered across three focused theatres, serving the needs of our audience throughout the buying chain. Emphasis will be placed on the latest technology innovations impacting the industry, practical advice on the most pressing issues facing security technicians, and important industry updates and insights. All sessions are focused on delivering tangible benefits to ensure professionals are equipped to stay relevant and to grow their business and we’re excited to be working with key industry bodies, innovators and experts to deliver the programme. We look forward to announcing those in coming weeks. Exhibitors want to re-engage with the thousands of industry colleagues who no longer attend other events on offer Q: Comparisons to IFSEC are inevitable. How will The Security Event be different than the IFSEC Security and Fire shows? What are the advantages of locating at Birmingham NEC? Norman: Both The Security Event and The Fire Safety Event, based at the NEC are completely different to any other trade show in the UK. We pride ourselves in creating a business platform that puts the exhibitors’ needs first, by limiting the size of stands and total number of exhibitors as well as creating a comprehensive CPD accredited educational programme for the visitors. Q: Which big industry players are supporting the launch of The Security Event, and what feedback are you hearing in terms of why they signed up at the show's inception? If a global manufacturer has a footprint in both the US and Europe, any tradeshow will be managed locally Norman: Our founding partners are Assa Abloy, Avigilon, Anixter, Comelit, Dahua, Honeywell, TDSi, Texecom, Tyco and Videcon. The full list of exhibitors and supporting partners can be found on our website. The reasons why they have signed up are very simple. They all see the exact same gap in the industry event landscape as we do. We believe there is a need for a 3-day channel focused commercial security exhibition based at The NEC in Birmingham. Our exhibitors want to re-engage with the thousands of industry colleagues who no longer attend the other events on offer. Q: Your 2019 show will be the same week as ISC West in Las Vegas. Do you think the competitive calendar will be a factor? Norman: In terms of our both our audience and our exhibiting base there is very little overlap with ISC West. Generally, if a global manufacturer has a footprint in both the US and Europe, any tradeshow will be managed locally so we haven’t observed any issues so far. We do acknowledge that having two shows at the same time globally isn’t ideal and we have moved our dates in 2020 to the 28-30 April to mitigate this going forward. The Security Event 2020 will not clash with Las Vegas' ISC West 2020 as it will in 2019, says Norman Q: How will you measure success in the first year of the show? What measurements (show size, number of attendees, exhibitor feedback, etc.) will constitute a "successful" first year for the show?Security Event will continue to evolve year after year, but will intent to stay true to the event's original concept Norman: Great question – the most important barometer of success for me and the team next April is the general industry reaction, after all, this show was created for them. Furthermore, it is vital to us that our exhibitors feel they have achieved their objectives for the show, whether it be quality, quantity of leads or raising awareness of a new product launch. We’ll also be keen to understand how satisfied visitors are with the event, including their views of the content, access to new products/services, effectiveness of the out of hours networking, etc. We are anticipating 6,000 visitors over the 3 days and I believe if we achieve this goal, we will have a strong rebooking on site, laying a great foundation for our 2020 event. Q: How would you expect/hope the show would continue to evolve in coming years? Norman: I hope over the next few years The Security Event cements itself as the industry’s favourite trade show and that exhibitors and visitors alike look forward to every year for both the business opportunities at the event and the networking outside of it. The Security Event will continue to evolve year after year, but I am determined that we stay true to our original concept and the principles on which the show was founded. After all, it is this formula that has proved to be so popular to date.