PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE Get Educated at ALOA 2019 ALOA Convention & Security Expo in Las Vegas. We’re excited to be going to a new venue, the South Point Hotel and Casino, and it’s going to be a really con- venient location for you. Everything is all in one building — classes, meetings, events and the Security Expo — and there’s so much there on site! For those who want to go experience the excite- ment of the main Strip, it’s not far away, and South Point offers its own little oasis of things to do. You even get free airport transportation and a really great rate. Take a look at Southpointcasino.com to fully check out the location. We also have a comprehensive selec- A tion of classes this year. From those new to the industry to you seasoned pros, there’s something for everyone to take. Automotive, electronic access control, institutional-focused classes, hardware — ALOA 2019 has it all. Take a look at the brochure included with this issue and pick out your classes. Some classes always fill quickly, so register early for your best chance at getting your first pick. The Security Expo is also shaping up to be bigger than ever this year. We al- ready have 100 exhibitors and more sign- ing on all the time. Be sure you plan to stay for the full two days of the Expo so you can see it all — and stay until the very end to win the grand prize draw- ing for a full ALOA 2020 registration package. WWW.ALOA.ORG s you’ll see in this issue and the accom- panying brochure, registration is soon opening for the 2019 Education Scholarships I’ve mentioned it before, but it seems that some members still don’t know about the ALOA Scholarship Foundation (ASF) and the educational scholarships they provide. This is such a great organization that has helped so many locksmiths receive qual- ity education that they may not have oth- erwise received. From those new to the industry to those looking to further their careers, students can apply for ASF schol- arships to attend the ALOA Convention, SAFETECH, classes at the Aaron M. Fish ALOA Training Center in Dallas or select other qualified industry classes. There’s still plenty of time to get your applications in for scholarships to attend the ALOA Convention (and you might even be able to get a travel stipend too!) For your convenience, we are again print- ing the ASF application in this issue. If you’re limited on educational funds, I really encourage you to apply so you can move ahead at your job and stay at the forefront of security industry knowledge. ELF Convention For those unfamiliar, the European Lock- smith Federation (ELF) is an association that brings together European security product manufacturers and locksmiths across Europe for collaboration and ed- ucation. They have been a great partner with ALOA over the years, and we have a good working relationship with them. The ELF Convention is coming up in May, and ALOA will have a presence there, as usual. Our European membership has grown over the years, and we’re happy to have Hans Mejlshede, CML, ALOA’s p Member Benefits I wanted to take a moment to remind you of all the benefits you can receive as an ALOA member. You get discounts on education and books, a free FindALocksmith.com listing, access to technical help, 11 issues of Keynotes each year, free $15,000 profes- sional bond, referrals and more. On top of your “official” benefits, the networking op- portunities are tremendous, and you have the chance to make a difference in your industry if you choose to get more involved — and I hope you will. For an exciting member development, be sure to read Executive Director Mary May’s column in this issue. We can’t wait to share more news about this exciting benefit! Respectfully, Jim Wiedman, CML President ALOA Security Professionals Association, Inc. [email protected] APRIL 2019 KEYNOTES 5
