Self-proclaimed "misfits" came together in Nashville for an event I am confident will shape the future of BadgePass - an inspiring gathering to witness firsthand. Lindsay Martin-Nez, the company's energetic CEO, stood before a crowd of 15+ partners, her enthusiasm infectious as she welcomed them to the inaugural BadgeUp partner event.

"We're here to do things differently," Lindsay announced, her voice carrying the conviction of someone who had spent over a decade transforming a regional security company into an identity management innovator. Just two years into her role as CEO after taking the reins from founder Phillip King in January 2023, Lindsay had already made her mark on the company culture (and the industry).

From ID Group to Industry Innovator

BadgePass hasn't always been BadgePass. Formerly known as ID Group, the company was established in 1976 and has grown to become one of the largest identity and security integrators in Mississippi and Louisiana. Its evolution from a regional player to a software development company focused on identity management reflects changing industry needs and the impacts of digital transformation.

Steve McBride, a 26-year company veteran, served as master of ceremonies, bringing gravitas and institutional knowledge to the proceedings. Meanwhile, Robbie Jefcoat conducted interviews throughout the event, capturing insights to help shape the company's future strategies for in-attendance.

The Badge Renaissance

Lindsay's keynote address, "Importance of the Badge - Your Name Has Value," cut to the heart of BadgePass's philosophy. While much of the industry focused solely on security applications, Lindsay highlighted the human element.

"We lose sight of the people side of things when we focus exclusively on security," she explained. "What about culture? Studies show a 10% increase in job satisfaction simply from using someone's name, and a 15% increase in student engagement."

She outlined her vision for badge standardization: prominent organization logos to foster community, names displayed large enough to be easily readable, and customized icons showcasing personal interests and accomplishments. This wasn't just about identification—it was about belonging.

"We want to make badging relevant in the industry again," Lindsay declared before announcing the "BadgePass Gives Back" initiative. Each quarter, one K-12 school would receive a completely free ID system, and partners would nominate deserving institutions.

Industry Perspectives: Physical vs. Mobile

The event featured insights from industry leaders grappling with evolving technology. Craig Sandness from HID Global spoke candidly about the $200 million Evolis acquisition and addressed what many considered the central debate in the field: mobile versus physical credentials.

"I don't think it's a battle," Craig said. "You need to look at the use case. Cards grow at 2% annually, while mobile adoption accelerates from nothing. HID will continue to focus on powering trust and identities for people, places, and things."

Luke Rettstatt from CloudCard offered a contrasting perspective: "Mobile credentials will be widely adopted; the experience is great." His company, which had rebranded from "Online Photo Submission" to the more concise "RemotePhoto," leveraged AI to streamline the badging process while keeping humans in the verification loop.

"Badging isn't just a security product," Luke emphasized. "It's a customer experience product.”

Guy Grace of ASSA ABLOY brought a public safety perspective, drawing on his military background and decades in school security. "Mobile access has a future," he acknowledged, "but it won't be widely adopted by schools anytime soon. Only about 20% of students have school-funded cell phones, and app management creates its challenges."

BadgePass's Cultural DNA

Throughout the three-day event, certain words defined BadgePass's approach: customer focus, authenticity, calculated expansion, and team orientation.

The decision to forego large trade shows in favor of more intimate customer-focused events like the Tech Retreat and Elite Getaway demonstrated their commitment to relationship-building. Their newly announced VIP Partner Program offered dedicated support channels, same-day shipping for orders placed by 2 PM CST, and quarterly tech support case reviews.

Lindsay's inspiration from the Savannah Bananas—a baseball team known for reinventing the fan experience—spoke to her philosophy of "plus-ing," or exceeding expectations at every turn.

Innovation Showcase

The event served as a platform for unveiling new products and services. BadgeHub promised to be a single location for all badging needs, unifying mobile and physical credentials. BadgeHub Go would offer a virtual badge solution, while partnerships with Mercury and Spintly demonstrated BadgePass's commitment to integration flexibility.

The atmosphere was celebratory and forward-looking as partners received recognition during the awards ceremony. Here is a list of awards and the winners:

• Innovation Award - Dowling Douglas Company

• Project of the Year - AAMSCO

• Support Tech of the Year - Austin Weldon (Dowling Douglas Co.)

• Sales Rep of the Year - Matt Buydos (Elliott Data Systems)

• Partner of the Year - Elliott Data Systems

The Future of Identity

It became clear throughout the event that BadgePass saw itself not merely as a company producing identification products but as an identity and activity management system designed to simplify customer processes customers' processes. Their self-description as "misfits" reflected their unique position in the market—neither a traditional photo ID solution nor access control software but something bridging both worlds.

By the time the inaugural BadgeUp event concluded, the 15+ partners in attendance had gained product knowledge and a clearer understanding of BadgePass's vision: a world where identity management enhances security and human connection.

Lindsay is a high-energy, focused, highly skilled, and wonderful human. It's hard to beat with all those attributes.

In the evolving identity management landscape, where trust and security meet belonging and recognition, BadgePass has staked its claim on making the humble ID badge meaningful again—not just as a security token, but as a badge of honor.

Thank you to Lindsay and the BadgePass team for sponsoring me to speak and giving me the opportunity to participate in BadgeUp. I look forward to attending another event soon.

Well, I am wrapping up a great week but busy week! I was chasing the storms this week with a 22-hour day in Dallas on Monday with a day full of meetings but home by midnight with no airport delays. People always ask me, Angie, why do you do those days like that? Well, for us fellow road warriors out there, you learn, one incredibly long day will beat 2 normal days, with potential storm delays, etc.…That is my why! Also, my why was to spend time with some amazing people. One of the great privileges I get in this business is to connect with other strategic leaders, who have walked similar paths yet quite different. This week I was able to connect with the Strategic Sales Leader in the Dallas Branch of Convergint, Chris Almonrode, who btw, has helped build a100 million-dollar operation, just in Dallas. Let me tell you I was impressed! I have learned in my career what it is like to build that kind of revenue, team, services, etc.…. Very impressive for both Chris, team and Convergint.  

You see Chris is an amazing guy, with a history in Law Enforcement, Guarding, with stops at large property managers, like CBRE, and then throw in the 3rd largest auction house in the world. Pretty impressive pedigree, so when he was talking, his credibility was great with me from the start, and I was glued to my seat to hear more. 

What sparked our conversation and my motivation to write about the title of this article was where the technology today was going, as well as industry trends and changes, we were both seeing in the marketplace, Chris shared with me something very enlightening! If you could have read my non verbal’s, I am sure there was a lot of head nodding, also with a look of, wow, I had never heard it said that way.

The term was Pre-Attack Indicators, with the concept there is always a pre-cursor to an attack. Now team, I have sat through a lot of speakers and sessions in my day, and this was a term brand new to me. One of the whole reasons I joined Evolon was that I saw that shift to proactive versus a reactive stance coming as a need in what we provide our customers. PIA, I said, hmmm …. It took me a bit to get it, and I butchered it a few times, with substitutes like Predictive Action Indicator, etc. Sigh, the blonde does come out. So, I digress, my curiosity got me, so I said to Chris, please tell me more.

Chris shared that there is always something that may occur before the actual incident, sometimes its blading of the feet, or surveillance several weeks before an actual incident, etc. There are things that occur to give us that warning, something is imminent, and they all follow a similar cycle. Chris shared one of the best at teaching this concept is Michael Rozin, with Rozin Consultants and his SIRA model. (I think Chris might also be formidable at this!) This definitely fascinated me, since I am staking the end of my career on hope and technology, we can stop that crime, 100 feet out before it ever hits the building, person, or assets of the building. Isn’t that where our friends at SIA and LPRC are diligently focusing their energy, to help us create a safer, more secure world?

Hence, why do we lobby for what we do? I loved seeing so many friends and leaders on Capitol Hill yesterday representing all of us in a way that makes us so much stronger and better. Hat’s off to my fellow Woman Leaders in the group! That makes me so proud! For me, I have learned a new term this week for me, PIA, and I encourage you to do your own research and learn about it, and I am sure, Mr. Chris would be willing to share his thoughts as well. If we can start stopping the crimes before they happen, we are always going to win in this world of Security. Onward to making that happen.