Security essen, the global fair for civil security, will see some changes in content and space. Starting with the coming event, exhibitors and visitors will profit from a new hall allocation and enhanced content at Messe Essen. As well as access control, video, fire and intruder protection, the hot topic of cyber-security gets its own focus. We asked Sabina Großkreuz, Senior Vice President Marketing and Julia Jacob, Head of Project at Messe Essen for some advance information.

GIT SECURITY: Mrs. Großkreuz and Mrs. Jacob, a fresh wind appears to be blowing through your (fair) halls – in all aspects of security essen 2018 and of the Messe Essen in general. What has been going on there over the past few months?
Julia Jacob: In the last few months a lot has happened here in Essen. The conversion of the fair site is in progress and the East Foyer – as the new face of the fair site - will be opened with a festive ceremony on November 28th. We are using the new hall constellation to put security essen on a fresh footing as far as both the space and the content are concerned. Thanks to the modernization of the fair site, from 2018 we will be able to use eight large and clearly arranged halls, which will be state-of-the-art in technology and will permit two-storey booth construction and optimum experiences at the fair, both for exhibitors and visitors.

What about the new fair site, how far are you now – and how far will you be next fall?
Julia Jacob:The first construction phase will be concluded in the near future. security essen will take place from September 25 to 28, 2018 on a largely modernized site that will set new standards at the end of the work in 2019. The next edition of the fair will already enjoy modern, light halls with the newest ventilation and air conditioning technology, WLAN in all areas, a comfortable Guest Club and many other innovations that will not only make the stay pleasant but will also make the exhibition more efficient.

Messe Essen and (of course, particularly interesting for our readers) security essen has also been put on a new footing as far as the organization is concerned. Both of you have already been in office since September 2016. What are your precise responsibilities and tasks – and have you got to grips with them in the meantime?
Sabina Großkreuz: As a Vice President, I am responsible for all the events staged by Messe Essen itself which, of course, include security essen. In September 2016, Julia Jacob assumed responsibility for the project management of our fair for civil security. We place emphasis on the joint strategic and content-related refinement of security essen - on the market and with the market participants. In this respect, it is important to us to provide the maximum benefit for exhibitors and visitors alike. security essen 2018 is not only an international marketplace for the sector and its trend barometer but also a meeting place for the exchange of specialist ideas and the transfer of knowledge. So both exhibitors and visitors can be very curious about the highly topical and informative support program. As examples we would like to draw attention to the Cyber Security Conference in cooperation with the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and BHE Federal Association for Security Technology, the Drone Course, the Fire Prevention Forum and the special area called ‘smart home security’.

What subject fields will securityessen 2018 cover – and what visitor structure are you hoping for?
Sabina Großkreuz: In the future, our fair in Essen will be oriented even more strongly to the range offered by the exhibitors and will be divided into six high-level themes: Services in Hall 1; Access, Mechatronics, Mechanics and Systems in Halls 2 and 3 and the Galeria; Video in Halls 4 and 5; Fire, Intrusion and Systems in Hall 6 and Perimeter Protection in Hall 7. The Messe Essen will also reserve the new separate Hall 8 for the subjects of Cyber Security and Economic Security for the first time. We will meet the needs of a lot of target groups and will be in close contact with our exhibitors in order to identify and strengthen new, relevant target groups that are important to the sector. Most recently, visitors came to us from almost 120 countries. We are expecting strong participation from abroad again in 2018.

Security is being sorted into an almost completely new form. What inspired you to make the new hall arrangements and how did you proceed with the decision?
Sabina Großkreuz: We consulted and agreed with our partners about the new thematic hall allocation. On the one hand, we naturally proceeded according to the layouts of the halls and the size of each of the subject areas in order to achieve an optimum utilization factor. On the other hand, there are certain subject areas that we want to extend even further – for example the areas of Fire Prevention and Cyber Security. So for these, we have chosen halls that can support growth in the long term so that exhibitors will have maximum planning certainty and development opportunity. Last but not least, we have of course adjusted the key topics to the market conditions. For example, it is now hardly possible to make a classic, very precise separation between mechanical and electronic security technology and so we have combined the areas.

In the past years, security has had to tolerate quite a lot of rebukes. From the air conditioning, the hall floor and the hall occupancy right up to the curried sausages: no aspect seemed to remain uncommented. Even the visitor structure as such and the meaningfulness of security itself were questioned by some individuals. What conclusions have you drawn from this and what measures have you initiated?
Julia Jacob: We have understood the criticism expressed in the past as a chance to improve ourselves, we have taken it seriously and have refined ourselves correspondingly. We will meet the needs of the sector with regard to both content and structure and will create the forum in order to redefine them. From 2018, the modernized halls and the new subject structure will offer the optimum conditions for this. When Security Essen opens its doors in less than a year, the fair venue will be one of the most modern in Germany. Security is becoming more digital and more networked, and the subject of civil security is more topical than ever. We are expecting a very successful fair in 2018. Over two thirds of the exhibition area for 2018 has already been marketed.

… and how do you see security positioned in the field of other fairs relating to all aspects of the subject of security – such as Intersec, Ifsec, Light + Building or the events in Nuremberg such as Feuertrutz, Perimeter Protection, U.T.Secand itsa?
Julia Jacob: As a well-established international fair, it is not specialized in one area but instead has a holistic approach. In this respect, attention is focusing on future technologies. As an impetus-providing global fair, the event has a special position and becomes the meeting place of the security sector every two years. Other characteristics of the event are the number and internationality of our exhibitors, the size of the exhibition area and the number and quality of the visitors. The top decision-takers of large companies, the security experts from corporate groups, authorities and associations, engineers and the wholesale trade come to Essen, from Germany and abroad, to obtain information and place orders here. In the future too, we will create the conditions to ensure that the fair will be the meeting place of the security experts.

What environment is going to make it particularly easy for exhibitors and visitors to security to spend a few days in Essen in September?
Julia Jacob: The modernized Messe Essen, the new subject structure and user guidance, a highly representative exhibition with many innovations and a highly attractive supporting program tailored to the sector and, of course, the hospitable city of Essen. The attractive Rüttenscheid district is directly on the doorstep and, with cafés and restaurants, will encourage guests to enjoy the golden autumn in the Ruhr region.

Please just close your eyes and think of security 2018 – what do you see?
Julia Jacob: Market leaders, global players and newcomers and full halls on a highly attractive fair site – and since we are generally seeing that security is becoming ever smarter, a lot of digitization and Industry 4.0. In addition, subject worlds, a fantastic support program as well as satisfied exhibitors and visitors.