Become a Judge for the SIA New Product Showcase

The Security Industry Association (SIA) is getting ready to launch the 2014 New Product Showcase (NPS) in the coming months—and we want your expertise to judge the best new products in the security industry!

Since its inception in 1979, the NPS has been the security industry’s premier awards-based marketing program. The 2013 NPS program had 84 entries from 66 companies. Each year at ISC West in Las Vegas, the NPS program recognizes winners in several product and service categories and presents the prestigious Judges Choice and Best New Product awards, among others. ISC West 2014, presented by SIA and ISC Events, takes place at the Sands Expo & Convention Center on April 1-4, 2014.

NPS judges will spend the entire first day on Tuesday, April 1, examining presentations by companies submitting new products for NPS award consideration. At the end of the day, all NPS judges will take a preliminary vote on the awards.

On Wednesday, April 2, the judges will go see the competing products displayed at the companies’ booths on the ISC West show floor. They will make a final vote for awards, and SIA and ISC Events will present the awards later that afternoon.

Judges have a unique opportunity to interact with high-caliber people and learn a lot about emerging products and trends in a very short period of time, SIA NPS Chair Jennifer Martin, director of sales at Wavestore USA, told me. The NPS judges include chief security officers from major corporations, project managers from major systems integrators and members of the press. Some NPS judges have been judges for more than 10 years, and it’s an excellent way to make good connections and raise your profile in the security industry, Martin said.

A few of last year’s NPS judges praised their experiences. Ina blog post, Deborah L. O’Mara, editor in chief of Security Dealer & Integrator magazine, said, “And while like you, my plate is full with work obligations, I find being a judge a nice distraction from day-to-day business activities and a great way to network with others in the industry. I’ve met many wonderful contacts from all parts of the industry—from end users and consultants to security directors and systems integrators.”

In a SIA blog post, Christopher Grniet, regional managing director of New York for Guidepost Solutions LLC, said, “[B]eing involved with the NPS has proven to be a much more informative and richer experience than I anticipated, offering unique insights not realized in other product-specific forums or in the technology test labs. This year’s NPS was no exception.”

Join them! If interested in being an NPS judge, fill out a form in response to our NPS Call for Judges 2014. If you have additional questions, contact Runjit Chandra, SIA’s online marketing coordinator, at rchandra@securityindustry.org.