Blog

Ryan Knoll
Industry Professional

The PSA TEC Fellowship Program offers an all-expenses-paid opportunity for next-generation leaders from PSA owner and member companies to attend TEC. This year, five fellows attended TEC 2025 in Denver, Colorado.  

It was an honor to be selected as a PSA TEC Fellow. Attending TEC in Denver this year exceeded every expectation I had going into the event. I’m excited to share my thoughts and takeaways.

The experience offered a unique opportunity to attend a wide variety of learning sessions, network with peers, industry leaders and manufacturers, contribute to discussions and spend time with my PSA mentor in person. I really enjoyed the variety of sessions and the ability to choose which to attend. This offered a custom experience and was something I really enjoyed. Overall, the fellowship provided an accelerated learning curve and a platform to actively participate in discussions with industry leaders on each topic.

The event itself was outstanding. Energy levels were high from the start, and the atmosphere was one of collaboration and innovation. The exhibition area showcased a wide variety of cutting-edge solutions, from drones to AI-powered video analytics. The diverse range of attendees, from integrators and manufacturers to end-users, created an outstanding environment.

My favorite session was Wes Uzie and Rick Sheppard’s discussion on video monitoring. It’s a topic that I’ve been exploring more recently and an offering that I believe will have great value to our customers. In addition to the video monitoring session, I really enjoyed the variety of cybersecurity-focused panels. As physical and cyber continue to converge, I’m glad TEC prioritized these discussions. I also really enjoyed the end-user discussion. Many times, it’s easy to make decisions without considering that perspective. Hearing end-user feedback is incredibly valuable, especially from three different industries and applications.

TEC provided me with valuable insights that I will apply to my career moving forward. Embracing continuous learning is something I will continue to prioritize as the industry is constantly evolving. Those who stop learning will be left behind. Building and maintaining strong relationships is critical in this industry and is why events like TEC are so valuable. Being able to sit and talk with industry peers was one of my favorite parts of attending, especially with those I’d only been able to interact with virtually prior to the show.

Finally, TEC highlighted the importance of adaptability. As technology and market conditions change, adaptability will be crucial for future success.

TEC was an exceptional event that provided me with invaluable knowledge, connections and inspiration. I’m excited to apply what I learned and contribute to the continued advancement of the security industry!