IPSB Conference After-Action

My biggest takeaway from my latest industry conference?

Wow, how the Executive Protection/Close Protection (EP/CP) field and industry has grown and evolved! It is amazing!

After returning from Las Vegas having attended the 2nd annual IPSB/EP Conference, my overall impression is just being very impressed with the comradery, the genuine interest in growth and networking, and the excitement about the potential in the industry.

I can't help thinking back 20 years ago when I was getting started in the field. The thought of having a venue of over 300 industry people in one room, willingly sharing experience and ideas would have been "far-fetched". I would have loved an opportunity like that, and it just wasn't available.

I know to the new guys/gals in the industry they can't relate that far back, but to me and many others it seems like yesterday.  At the networking sessions during the conference (most valuable parts) I spoke to both senior people and newer people trying to break into the EP world.  For the new people, I found myself repeating the same phrases "you are at the right place" and "good for you for being here, and soak it up like a sponge!"

For the older and experienced crew, you could feel a sense of excitement and exuberance in the room.  The idea of this many "players" in the same building was just nuts.  To those people in the room that had encouraged and invited me to attend,  I owe you a steak dinner! This event was well worth the time and travel, and I left feeling excited about the future of our industry.

I say this because for the guys and gals that have worked their way through the industry from the ground up, it was not always so easy and there were few events that gave you hope and encouragement. 

To the contrary, getting a start for most of us was extremely difficult and down-right frustrating.   For an example, there was little to NO literature or books to read about the EP/CP world.  There were a few schools, but it was very difficult to talk to anyone that had been to them.  The likelihood of finding someone that was successful in the industry was impossible, and if you did, getting them to tell you ANYTHING was not likely. So feedback and information was at a minimum.  At that time I was employed by a large State Police agency and the chances of getting on a governor's detail, or other opportunity to get on the job training was almost impossible, due to the politics and "good ole boy system". 

So this brings me back to the conference itself. 

Just as one example of the value of an event like this. As many of you know,  I write and blog about the EP/CP industry and mentor new people trying to break into the industry.  For my own growth and development, I also read many of the industry professionals' articles, blogs and podcasts.  Almost all of the great bloggers, authors and thought leaders in this industry were at the conference, ready and willing to talk, to share and to engage with all the attendees. Wow! What an opportunity!

Also, many of the top EP/CP schools were also attending and had booths.  Well- known companies were in attendance, and actually had recruiting booths.  Yes, they were literally conducting interviews on the spot!

Then there were the smaller EP support companies.  All regions of the US, west, mid-west and east coast were there networking together.  Also, many companies and personnel from other countries were in attendance.  I think you get the point....

Nowhere in this article do you read the words "Competitor or Competition".

I have to mention this because honestly, I thought about that on my way to the conference. Just that nagging pessimism that I would be in a room with 'competitors' who would be more interested in protecting their turf, than sharing or learning from others.

Wow, was I wrong. In all the best ways!

I believe everyone at the conference realized how much we ALL depend on each-other, and that in the scheme of things, and size of our over-all industry, that there is more work out there that we can handle.   The people I met, the old and new friends I connected with, the companies, schools and services were all there for the same reason: there is opportunity everywhere, and we will all do better as we learn and grow as an industry.

Now I don't want to make it sound like everything is easy going for small companies, individual operators and new people.  Because clearly, the struggle is real. You still have to work hard, get the training and experience.  But the IPSB conference was an eye-opening experience for a lot of us, and one I will certainly prioritize attending in the future.

I interacted with a lot of incredible, accomplished men and women. And yes, there were some common traits that I want to mention and close with. These folks were authentic, humble in many ways, interested in learning and engaging with others,  wanting to improve the quality of our industry, interested in maintaining strong networks, and mentoring and supporting others.

Now, if you've been in this business for any length of time...I doubt that those would be the traits you would have used to described the top people in the EP world. 

I'm telling you, things are changing, and the individuals and companies really knocking it out of the park right now are doing things differently. And its benefiting all of us.

Make it a priority to stay engaged in the industry! Invest in attending events like this. Trust me, it is worth the extra effort!

See everyone next year....