No matter how many times you’ve seen it, the firing of the confetti canons that signify that the ISC West show floor is open for business never seems to disappoint. That was definitely the case at yesterday’s Grand Opening.

Once again sponsored by Allegion, the Grand Opening ceremony included a who’s who of the security industry assembled for the singular purpose of kicking off the industry’s most important get-together. One of the many highlights of what has become more of an event than a ceremony was the singing of the National Anthem by Rex Comer of Houston-based DA Mid South. By the way, Comer is no stranger to performing on a big stage, having sung the National Anthem for his hometown Houston Astros.

Prior to calling on SIA CEO Don Erickson to introduce leaders from various security industry associations and organizations, ISC Events Senior Vice President Ed Several took a moment to thank attendees for their continued support of the largest security industry event in the U.S.

“Our great security industry works every day to ensure the safety of so many and in today’s turbulent times, it’s what all of you do that has become more critical than in years past. Our ISC and SIA team is honored to have you join us to discover the most leading-edge technologies on the market as you work every day, tirelessly, to keep your customers safe,” Several said.

After introductions were made, the countdown began. The aforementioned confetti canons fired, the ropes dropped and attendees began flooding the show floor, quickly filling the aisles as they sought out the innovative technologies on display from the more than 1,000 exhibitors at this year’s ISC West. A steady stream of attendees that stretched from the main lobby well toward the casino floor of the Venetian continued flowing in for quite a while, and attendees seemed undeterred by the very, very long registration line – which continued to push the boundaries of the Sands Convention Center for more than an hour.

Not surprisingly, the foot traffic and the buzz of conversation filled the show floor right up until the 5 p.m. closing time – and continued into the lobby and beyond. Based on the record number of registrations for ISC West 2016, tomorrow should be just as busy as thousands of attendees continue to navigate the show floor to connect with product experts, view demonstrations of products and technologies, take advantage of the learning opportunities of the SIA Education@ISC program, and seize on the plentiful networking opportunities that only ISC West can provide.