The focus of the New England Alarm & Controls Council is to promote the education of the members of the six New England State associations, and to promote industry related education to New England security dealers, installers, manufacturers, distributors, and equipment suppliers. The vehicle of this focus is the annual Northeast Security Systems Expo. NEACC’s educational efforts reach back to 1978
when New England state association representatives first gathered to act on their unique and unifying idea of sponsoring an annual educational trade show. The first show at the Viking Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island was the forerunner to what has become today’s ‘must attend’ annual event. In the early years the two-day show had a family outing emphasis and a variety of locations were selected with forays to local attractions in mind. Sensing the change in climate and the need to accommodate busy schedules the emphasis evolved from social into mixing business with pleasure. The convention became a one-day show preceded by the popular golf tournament and clambake. Time laden generic seminars were traded for twenty-minute spotlight, non-generic show floor product labs. Instead of moving about, the trade show found an easy access, centralized home in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. As the popularity of the show grew 2002 saw the move to a larger centralized location in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The heart of NEACC has always been the people behind the scenes. Volunteers in the form of one representative from each New England state association, and a variety of associate members, work together for one full year in preparation for the annual event. Officers of the partnership rotate annually and are selected from representatives from the six New England State associations: Connecticut Alarm & Systems Integrators Association (CASIA), Maine Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (MBFAA), Massachusetts Systems Contractors Association, Inc. (MSCA), New Hampshire Alarm Association (NHAA), Rhode Island Alarm and Systems Contractors Association (RIASCA), and Vermont Alarm & Signal Association (VASA). The NEACC board is appreciative of the contributions of its associate members, the show exhibitors, and show sponsors. The Northeast Security Systems Expo is the longest continuously running state sponsored security trade show.
