After a week of meaningful connections and powerful demonstrations at the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) 73rd Annual Conference & EMEX 2025, the Building Safety Solutions team has returned with renewed purpose and a growing list of organizations ready to transform how they protect their people and properties.
Held November 14–20, 2025 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky, this year’s event brought together nearly 2,400 emergency management professionals representing every level of government, the private sector, healthcare systems, and educational institutions.
The senior BSS sales staff of Melinda, Katelyn and Charles
A Different Audience, A Deeper Connection
While our experience at RISKWORLD 2025 in Chicago earlier this year introduced our solutions to risk managers and insurance professionals, the IAEM conference placed us directly in front of the practitioners who respond when emergencies unfold—the emergency managers, first responder coordinators, and incident commanders who need our technology in their hands when seconds count.
At RISKWORLD, we set a goal of 20 product demos and were thrilled to triple that with over 85 demonstrations. At IAEM, we raised our ambitions even higher—and the emergency management community responded with enthusiasm that exceeded our expectations.
What We Showcased
Our booth demonstrated our complete suite of emergency preparedness and response solutions:
• BSS First Responder — Our flagship incident response platform that provides real-time building intelligence, live personnel tracking, and secure communication channels during emergencies.
• BSS Guardian — Our comprehensive emergency preparedness platform featuring employee safety check-ins, procedural compliance tools, and in-house reporting capabilities.
• BSS Archangel — Interactive digital plans for commercial real estate that identify critical building systems and emergency infrastructure.
The IAEM Difference
The attendees at IAEM included emergency management decision-makers, homeland security officials, local, state, federal, NGO, tribal, and private sector emergency managers, business continuity planners, first responder coordinators, medical/hospital emergency managers, private sector industry risk managers, contingency planners, university/college emergency managers, and educators in the field of emergency management/homeland security.
Unlike trade shows where we explain why emergency preparedness matters, IAEM attendees already live this reality daily. The conversations moved quickly from “what does your product do?” to “how fast can we implement this?” and “can you integrate with our existing dispatch systems?”
We spoke with:
• Municipal emergency managers seeking better coordination tools between city departments and building owners during large-scale incidents.
• University safety directors looking to modernize campus emergency response following evolving active shooter protocols.
• Hospital facility managers needing real-time building intelligence to support emergency department operations during mass casualty events.
• Federal agency representatives evaluating technologies that meet FEMA and OSHA compliance requirements.
• Fire marshals and first responder coordinators interested in pre-incident planning tools that give their teams building-specific intelligence before they arrive on scene.
What Resonated Most
Our BSS First Responder platform generated significant interest among attendees who immediately recognized its value. At RISKWORLD, one university professor described our product using the analogy of “a medical alert bracelet…but for a building.” At IAEM, we heard several attendees say that this technology is exactly what they’ve been asking building owners to provide but didn’t know it existed.
The ability for first responders to access dynamic building layouts, utility shut-off locations, hazardous material inventories, and real-time occupant status before they even step out of their vehicles resonated deeply with professionals who understand that information gaps cost lives.
Our BSS Guardian platform also drew attention from organizations focused on compliance and liability reduction. With 98% of EMEX attendees reporting high satisfaction with the quality of products and services offered, and 85% considering purchasing a product or contracting with an exhibitor, the buying intent at this conference was remarkably strong.
The Exhibition Floor
EMEX 2025 brought together the latest technological advances in homeland security and disaster preparedness suppliers under one roof.
The exhibitor mix was notably different from RISKWORLD—where most exhibitors were insurance companies and insurance brokers—IAEM’s exhibition floor featured emergency communication systems, mass notification platforms, incident management software, mobile command solutions, and first responder equipment manufacturers.
Being surrounded by complementary technologies sparked valuable conversations about integration opportunities and reinforced that Building Safety Solutions occupies a unique position in the emergency management ecosystem—bridging the gap between building owners who want to protect their assets and the first responders who arrive when disaster strikes.
Conference Insights
The 2025 conference featured over 200 educational sessions, workshops, and networking events designed to share best practices, explore innovative technologies, and enhance collaboration across the emergency management profession.
Several sessions aligned directly with challenges our products address:
• Workplace violence prevention and response protocols
• Public-private partnerships in emergency preparedness
• Technology integration for improved situational awareness
• Legal liability considerations in emergency planning
• Active shooter preparedness for commercial buildings
Attendees were given numerous opportunities to make professional networking connections that are invaluable to emergency managers and their organizations—98% of IAEM Conference participants agreed that these connections enhanced their professional capabilities.
Looking Ahead
At RISKWORLD, we left with a clear sense that technology is becoming the backbone of modern risk strategy. At IAEM 2025, that insight deepened: emergency managers are no longer asking if they should adopt technology—they’re asking which technology will integrate best with their existing operations and deliver results when lives are on the line.
The conversations in Louisville reinforced what we’ve believed from the start: the role of emergency management is evolving rapidly, and organizations need smart, agile, and legally compliant emergency response infrastructure to meet rising regulatory demands and public safety expectations.
Thank You
To everyone who visited our booth, participated in demonstrations, and shared the challenges facing your organizations—thank you. Your insights directly inform our product development and fuel our commitment to building technology that bridges the gap between chaos and coordination.
We look forward to continuing the conversations started in Louisville. If we didn’t get a chance to connect at the show, reach out to our team—we’re always ready to discuss how Building Safety Solutions can support your emergency preparedness and response goals.