In October, the Guardhouse team traveled to San Diego for the 2026 CALSAGA Annual Conference, where Guardhouse supported the event as a Silver Sponsor. Over three days, the conference brought together private security professionals from California and beyond to exchange ideas, build connections, and discuss the latest developments across the industry.
For Guardhouse, it was also a chance to spend time with California’s security community in person. Earlier this year, we made Dallas, Texas our US home. Since then, getting to know security companies in other states have been an important part of our work, and California is a market we want to understand well.
Our thanks go to CALSAGA, the California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards and Associates, for bringing the industry together. Here are three takeaways the team brought home.
Relationships matter
Strong, genuine relationships across the security industry are essential to growing together and building long-term success. That holds true between security companies and their clients. It applies just as much to the partners who support them.
For Guardhouse, building those relationships starts with listening. The conversations in San Diego gave us a clearer picture of what California security companies need from a workforce management platform, and where we can be most useful.
Compliance is key
California is one of the most demanding states in which to run a guard company. Every officer needs a valid Guard Card from BSIS, along with any firearm or baton permits their role requires. Many cities add their own permits for patrol work, with separate renewals. Training requirements are under review, and wage and hour rules are among the strictest in the country.
These requirements do not stand still. Staying informed on evolving regulations is how we build a product that serves our customers and supports their success. In Guardhouse, compliance sits alongside day-to-day operations, with license checks, workforce records, audit trails, and incident reporting kept on one connected platform.
Keep learning and collaborating
Industry events like CALSAGA are a reminder of the value of sharing knowledge and exchanging ideas. Above all, they let us learn from the people who know this industry best.
Those who manage officers, sites, and clients every day see challenges that are easy to miss from the outside. Hearing about them directly helps us understand what matters in practice, and it gives us a clearer sense of where to focus as the platform develops.
Looking ahead
We left San Diego grateful for the conversations, connections, and insights from the week, and ready to put these takeaways into action. As Guardhouse continues to grow in the US, we will keep working closely with California’s security community.
Thank you to CALSAGA, and to everyone who took the time to connect with our team in San Diego. That included our Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder, Julian Cartwright, and our Partnerships Manager, US, Alexandra Volcy-de Nes.
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