Staged at RAI Amsterdam the day before ISE 2019, the ninth Smart Building Conference provided a preview of the technology to come in the buildings of tomorrow.
Pitched to stakeholders in both the commercial and residential sectors, the conference took place on Monday, February 4, under the subheading ‘Making Buildings Smart, Making Smart Buildings’.
Opening the event with their vision of a smarter future were Oliver Iltisberger of ABB Building Products and Gabriel Wetzel from Bosch Smart Home GmbH. Presentations followed from some of the world’s leading smart building experts and various thought leaders.
Immersive touchpoints
“Typical tools for smart buildings are sensors and interfaces,” noted Michael Schneider, creative technology director of hardware at the world’s largest global architectural design and planning firm, Gensler. “It’s not just the lights, sound, temperature, but about people, storytelling, communities and social elements. We need to create immersive touchpoints which are the core endpoint for smart buildings.”
Google technical program manager Kathy Farrington presented on interoperability for the next generation of IoT (Internet of Things) devices. Meanwhile Sean Wargo from AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) chaired a panel session.
Other speakers included senior smart building company executives, manufacturers, integrators, consultancies and real estate company representatives.
“Once again, the Smart Building Conference was an enormous success,” said its chairman, Bob Snyder. “It’s a unique event in its ability to draw together stakeholders from across the buildings industry. What’s fascinating about it is how it not only reflects the evolution in the industry, but also sets the agenda for the future. It will be interesting to see what emerges from next year’s Smart Building Conference when we feature 5G, IoT and the Intelligent Edge.”
Post-event activities
After the conference, delegates were invited to participate in an ISE-organised tour of Amsterdam’s EDGE Olympic, one of the newest world-leading smart buildings. Free walking tours of the ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) show floor at the RAI were also offered.
“ISE has become much more than a trade show,” says Mike Blackman, of Integrated Systems Events. “Each year, we aim to offer an even more complete experience with many opportunities to learn and to network. The Smart Building Conference is a prime example of that, with delegates able to take home with them knowledge and information that will make a real difference to their businesses.”
