ISC East 2018 officially opened this morning with a ceremony announcing it bigger and better than ever. For the first time, this year’s event is co-located with two other very timely and relevant events: the Unmanned Security Expo New York and Infosecurity North America.

The Northeast’s largest converged security tradeshow, ISC East will include over 275 exhibitors this year at the Javits Center in New York today and tomorrow, November 14 and 15. Exhibitors will feature products and solutions for access control, video surveillance, computer and communications security, IT & IoT security, biometrics, physical security management, smart home technology and more.

In addition to the regular ISC East show, attendees this year also have access to the Unmanned Security Expo, an all-new, trade-only event focused on autonomous technology and hardware. Exhibitor product categories include counter-drone, drones/aerial platforms, ground platforms/robotics, software and applications, and drone detection.

The second co-located event is Infosecurity North America, an immersive event for the information security community where ISC East attendees can gain access to an expo floor with the latest technology solutions along with a variety of networking opportunities. “We have set the co-location up so it is seamless to attendees,” says Will Wise, group vice president, security portfolio for Reed Exhibitions. “If you are a traditional ISC attendee you will automatically get access to the Infosecurity floor and a few conference sessions that are open to all attendees.”

For those wanting more on this topic, ISC East attendees can receive 20 percent off the Infosecurity North America keynote series using code IE20OFF. Attendees can also elect to upgrade their registration to participate in Infosecurity’s high-level conference program directly at the Infosecurity registration counters. Exhibitor product categories include: IoT, data protection, network security, cybersecurity, digital forensics and more.

In addition to the co-located shows, ISC East will feature not one but two keynote presentations this year. The first will be held today, Nov. 14 from 2:00 p.m-3:00 p.m. in room 1A30. Philip Halpin, senior vice president and the head of global security for Brown Brothers Harriman will present the keynote “Friend or Foe? Technology Disruption and the Physical Security Industry.” This topic will tie in closely with the Unmanned Security Expo theme and examine how robots, drones, automation and artificial intelligence will all transform the security landscape. Then on Thursday Nov. 15 from 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. in room 1A30, retired FBI agent James Gagliano will discuss “21st Century Best Practices: Reporting from the Front Lines on How Law Enforcement and the Security Industry are Confronting Emerging Threats.” See “Looking Ahead: Day 2 Keynote Speaker James Gagliano Looks to Entertain & Inspire With Stories, Front-Line Insights” for a sneak peek at what is sure to be an engaging keynote.

In addition to the keynote series, attendees can look forward to several networking opportunities. The first is the annual Crack the Tap cocktail reception (sponsored by Autel Robitcs), which will take place this afternoon, Nov. 14, from 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the C Hall, Networking Lounge, Booth #7. Infosecurity is also having a ‘Cyber Soiree’ networking party this afternoon from 4:30-5:30 at the Infosecurity North America Show Floor - 1C Hall.

SIA Honors Night will take place this evening, Nov. 14 from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., at Current at Chelsea Piers. New this year is the SIA Women in Security Forum Breakfast, which will take place tomorrow, Nov. 15 from 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. in room 1A21. Moderated by Dark Reading editor Sara Peters, this event will celebrate women in security and support the participation of women in the security workplace.

Finally, don’t forget to stop by the Featured Product Showcase in C Hall, Booth  #47 to vote for the best new products. Winners will be announced Nov. 15 at noon in the same location.

With all that is going on at the show this year, Wise advises attendees to plan their time carefully. “We have a lot of great new content and exhibitors, so balancing their time between current relationships and looking for new companies is a bigger challenge this year.”

To help with planning out their show attendees can download the official ISC East mobile app for access to the exhibitor list, interactive show floor map, new products, show specials and more (sponsored by ASSA ABLOY). Download the app for free at www.isceastmobile.com or visit the Apple App or Google Play Stores.