Europe and the US have the largest locksmiths industries in the world and the largest trade associations are the European Locksmith Federation and the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA). Both play an important role in safeguarding the high professional standards of the industry across the globe. Besides offering proficiency certification of locksmiths they are also behind some of the largest exhibitions, held across various countries with a focus on industry news and training course. The COVID-19 emergency has forced most events to be postponed to 2021 but several associations have made their training courses available online to make sure their members are continuously trained despite the pandemic. 

Why attend?

Generally speaking, locksmiths pros and security enthusiasts, companies and innovators in all parts of the world attend locksmith exhibitions to keep up with the ever-changing trends, see what's new, start partnerships, attend seminars and training classes, learn, expand their networking and start incorporating smart security technologies into their own businesses, products and services.

In fact, more than one hundred lock manufacturers, security experts and tool suppliers attended the event that spread across two huge halls. All the demos, interesting seminars, educational training courses and exciting product launches captured the attention of visitors and attendees alike during the three days. Plus, visitors were able to buy special products thanks to the special MLA Expo deals they were welcomed to take advantage of.  

It would seem that generally speaking, locksmith exhibition attendees have started to get the taste of these events and grasp their importance. The MLA event received a lot of positive feedback from visitors. Similarly to other locksmith exhibitions, visitors appreciate the professionalism shown in every aspect of the event's organization, as well as the valuable information and know-how they can get access to. Locksmiths and security experts in all parts of the world gather during these yearly events with the intention of finding out everything they need to know about the latest trends in the locksmithing and home security industries, as well as the hottest trends for commercial and automotive security, everything smart home security-related and the list goes on. 

They are eager to learn what are the most innovative products they should keep a close eye on in the upcoming months, as most products introduced during these events are usually scheduled for launch in the following months. Locksmiths can take advantage of being the first ones to learn about the freshest smart locks for doors or windows, door alarms, smart home video doorbells or ski locks and recommend them to their tech-loving customers. More and more people are interested in keeping up with the latest security trends in terms of smart, keyless locks or alarms connected to their smart home systems. This means that the more up-to-date a locksmith is with the latest releases in the field, the more successful they will be. Trade presentations, innovative product launches, and discussions lead by experts on topics that are interesting for the people in the industry are also reasons that make these events so popular worldwide.

Associations and Exhibitions

The European Locksmith Federation (EF) was founded in 1984 and has its headquarters in Finland. Their yearly ELF Convention gathers Locksmiths from across Europe and is the main forum for discussion of the profession's challenges, opportunities, and future within Europe. Their event of 2020 has been postponed until 2021. 

The Master Locksmiths Association is the largest trade association for Locksmiths in the UK. They are behind Europes' largest Locksmith and Security Exhibition held every two years for three days at a purpose-built exhibition venue of 6000+ square meters. It is sponsored by DOM-UK and it receives the visit of a record number of visitors every time. The 2019 event was also the 20th in the history of the event and it can be considered the most successful to date. It recorded a 32% rise over the course of the three days, with more than 3,500 people attending from across the continent. The MLA exhibition actually managed to attract a great European public and sell out the great majority of the 80 training courses that were planned and organized during the event.

The Associated Locksmiths of America was founded in 1955 and since the start, their yearly conventions have attracted members from across the US. During the first three years, the conventions"lock-picking" competition was an important part of the burglar-prevention training the Locksmith members got. The association is still focusing on security, education and networking. The next convention is planned for July 19-25 of 2020 but may be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• The NCLA Regional Security Trade Show is held yearly in February at the Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory, NC, next event February 19-20, 2021
• The Alabama Locksmith Association Technical Show is held twice a year in March and September at the Hosted Pelham Civic Center in Pelham, AL. The next event will take place on the 26th of September, 2020.
• The IIBEC Virtual International Convention and Trade show is scheduled for June, 12-14 and covers 17 hours educational seminars.
• The H.L. Flake Trade Show with classes is held every year at the Houston Marriott Westchase in Houston, TX. The event of March this year was canceled and they are planning to reschedule parts of the event to June 11-12 of this year.

These are just a few of the most important locksmith exhibitions, tradeshows and events active locksmiths and security companies in the US can attend in 2020/21. Whether you are interested in a career as a locksmith or you are already managing your own company, attending such an event will definitely help you change your perspective and keep up with the trends.