ISE departs from Amsterdam in style

ISE 2020 completed its 15-year stay at RAI Amsterdam on Friday 14 February 2020. The special ¡Hola Barcelona! event held on the final day brought down the curtain on ISE’s residence at Amsterdam’s leading exhibition centre. Politicians and executives saluted the RAI venue and the City of Amsterdam while looking ahead to the future with the show’s move to the Fira de Barcelona next year.

Against a backdrop of the international health crisis and a storm sweeping across Europe, ISE 2020 delivered a vibrant exhibition floor and a compelling programme of content that included conferences, keynotes and training. The four-day show ended an exciting chapter in the exhibition’s history.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, commented: “This year’s show demonstrated to us just how determined our attendees were to come to ISE. Many of our exhibitors exceeded their targets for customer engagement and lead generation. The show has delivered on all fronts: as the global industry’s biggest annual forum, as a launchpad for new solutions, as a place to do business, and as a source of professional development and education.”

While attendance was understandably down against the previous year, crowds still flocked to the event, with a cumulative total of 116,599 visits to ISE 2020. Removing repeat visits by individuals on subsequent days gives a total of 52,128 unique attendees.

Thought leadership and expert opinion were to be found across many channels at ISE 2020, ensuring that delegates had an abundance of opportunities to ‘Learn. Discover. Be Inspired’.

In the Opening Address, former Disney executive Duncan Wardle gave an engaging and thought-provoking demonstration of how to unleash the creativity within all of us.

Fourteen conferences in two venues addressed business strategies and technology trends across the broadest range of vertical markets ever served by an ISE professional development programme. This well-received line-up included the launch of the Control Rooms Summit, and the creation of the Smart Workplace Track as an offshoot of the Smart Building Conference.

On the Main Stage, jointly organised by ISE, AVIXA, CEDIA and AV Magazine, expert speakers offered thought leadership on a wide range of topics. Attracting a diverse and talented workforce within the AV industry was the focus of a number of these sessions. AVIXA’s Diversity Council Forum featured a keynote speech from BBC Creative Diversity Director June Sarpong, and in a session organised jointly with WAVE (Women in AV), the AVIXA Women’s Council was addressed by the Hon. Àngels Chacón, Minister for Business and Knowledge in the Catalonian Government. And on Friday, a panel session jointly produced by all four content partners discussed practical measures for recruiting new talent to the industry.

Up to Barcelona next year!