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Guardhouse and Deploi co-hosted the latest Leaders in Security Private Networking Event at Wolves of Tokyo, London, following the opening day of International Security Expo.
More than 80 companies attended, a mix of existing Guardhouse clients, new connections, and senior figures from across the security industry. The evening's theme was partnerships, and it was built around one simple idea: bring people into the same room and give them space to talk.
A room full of industry leaders
There were no presentations or set agendas. The focus was relaxed networking, meeting new people and continuing conversations already happening across the wider industry.
Having both existing clients and new connections in the room made for a genuinely mixed evening. Existing relationships help Guardhouse and Deploi understand what matters in day-to-day operations: the pressures security businesses are working through, and where a platform or a partnership can make that work easier. New connections bring different perspectives and challenges into the conversation, surfacing issues that might not come up in a more familiar setting.
Conversations moved between operational detail and broader industry trends, often within the same few minutes, a reflection of how closely those two things are connected in practice.
Partnerships were at the centre
The security industry is increasingly interconnected. Security providers, technology companies, researchers, and industry bodies each play a part in shaping what comes next. No single organisation covers all of it alone.
Strong partnerships create room to share expertise, work through problems from different angles, and build better outcomes for the people and businesses across the industry. That thinking runs through how Guardhouse and Deploi approach their own partnership, and it shaped the format of the evening itself. Rather than a sponsor-led event with a fixed programme, the evening was structured loosely enough to let conversations find their own direction.
That approach extended to who was in the room. Attendees included operational leaders running day-to-day security functions, technology providers working alongside them, and representatives from organisations focused on research and standards across the industry. Bringing those groups together in one setting, without a formal agenda steering the conversation, is harder to do than it sounds, and was central to what made the evening work.
Bringing industry voices together
The event was also joined by representatives from key industry bodies, including Professor Martin Gill, whose research continues to shape thinking across the security sector.
Martin recently joined Guardhouse Co-Founder and CEO Jack Alpe for a webinar on his latest research into the sector. Having him join in person at Leaders in Security was a natural continuation of that conversation, giving attendees the chance to discuss the research directly rather than only hear about it second-hand.
It also reflected the wider purpose of the evening: connecting different parts of the industry and giving ideas room to move between them. Research, operational experience and technology development don't always intersect in a single room, and when they do, the resulting conversations tend to be some of the more useful ones of the night.
Looking ahead
Leaders in Security is part of a new national series from Guardhouse, bringing together security industry leaders across the UK throughout the year. Each event will follow a similar format: a closed-door setting, a mix of existing relationships and new ones, and enough room in the evening for conversation to go where it needs to.
The response to this event suggests there's an appetite for more of this across the industry — fewer formal programmes, more direct conversation between the people actually doing the work.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, existing customers, new connections, and industry leaders alike. To find out more about the series and future events, visit Guardhouse Security Leaders Network.
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