The Portcullis Seminars have become a regular feature of the IT Security calendar within the City of London. Now in their fourth season, they have earned a reputation in the industry for being informative and fun whilst at the same time providing excellent networking opportunities. For some time Portcullis CSL have been disillusioned with the exhibition world. As the epidemic of new IT Security shows increases, covering the year planner like a rash, the value of each individual show diminishes further. Thousands of pounds are charged for the right to have a space for your pop-up (2 metres by 1 metre) around the edge of the coffee area where an ever shrinking number of visitors are out numbered by exhibitors.

Grubs up!

Marketing strategies today have to consider the importance of ROI as much as any another part of the business. This simple fact was the impetus behind Portcullis' launch of our own seminars. Instead of accepting the received wisdom that exhibitions were the only way that an event could get you in front of your market, we decided to create our own shows that we control from initial concept to the day itself.

Although Portcullis do occasionally host larger events for 200 people, these are principally an exercise to increase profile and in terms of meeting people can seem a bit like a wedding. That is to say, with so many people, there is barely enough time to say hello to them before the day's over and it's time to go. The people invited to seminars are carefully qualified and we cater for about 30 people so that there is a far greater opportunity to have in-depth conversations with delegates where we learn more about their needs and they get to pick the brains of Portcullis personnel.

The days of the business "jolly day" are long gone and persuading people to spend a day out of the office to play 9 holes of golf and then sink a few pints whilst calling it a symposium is practically impossible. In terms of ROI, this approach would attract the totally wrong kind of delegate anyway. The invitations to Portcullis seminars are quite explicit about what subjects a client can expect to cover if they attend so that those who book themselves a place are genuinely interested in the services or products being discussed. The programme has an emphasis on information and informality rather than the classic sales pitch followed up by a bit of strong-arming in the bar to get people to sign purchase orders before they leave! Delegates welcome the opportunity to learn about new technology and discuss how these changes may impact upon their own operation.

The Gene Kelly (Singing in the rain) fan club visit the Tower seminars

The team of presenters are gleaned from Portcullis personnel across the board. Many seminars are little more than a string of sales pitches punctuated by a coffee break, whereas at our events you are more likely to hear from a member of the Technical Department or Penetration Testing Team about their hands on experience of a particular offering, using the latest technology to illustrate their point.

The venues for the events are chosen carefully to reflect the themes of our industry.London Seminars often take place at Her Majesty's Tower of London, long associated with security as a prison, a jewel house and a royal home. The presence of several portcullises that for centuries have performed the function of denying unauthorised access, echoes a certain relevance of this castle as the location for Portcullis' security seminars. The Tower's proximity to the square mile also makes it convenient for City clients who haven't the time to waste travelling to and from events.

Other seminar venues have included Simpson's-in-the-Strand. More recently our events have taken place afloat, on the river Thames, using the Silver Fleet vessels. The events do have a lighthearted side, for example at the Tower after lunch our Marketing Manager conducts a guided tour of the castle (he used to do that sort of thing for a living!), which conveniently concludes at a nearby watering hole.

Testimonials from past delegates

"The event was very informative, and the relaxed yet professional manner in which the information was imparted made it markedly different from the 'hard sell' we usually experience. That in itself makes you unique, so you are on to a winner." (Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO))

"Bring an open, inquisitive mind and a good sense of humour and you'll have a highly informative and thoroughly rewarding time. The effort and time that goes into producing these is self-evident." (British Telecom)

"Just a note to thank you and your colleagues for a very interesting morning last Friday. From my point of view it was a thought provoking session which raised a number of questions about the tools we currently employ and, of course, it raised my awareness of alternatives in the market.
Lunch was very pleasant and the afternoon was indeed both entertaining and enjoyable - a memorable link to the morning! Thank you" (BACS)