The world’s biggest AV and systems integration show wil move to Barcelona from 2021. Integrated Systems Events, the producers of ISE, say the new permanent home will give the exhibition a chance to grow.
The new and permanent location will be Gran Via, part of the Fira de Barcelona exhibition complex. The first ISE in Barcelona will take place 2-5 February, 2021.
The decsion to move was brought about after extensive research. This revealed that ISE was outgrowing the RAI Amsterdam. The international AV industry is set to grow at 5% per annum up to 2021. In addition, ISE itself grows by around 10% a year. Both these factors meant a new home was needed for the event.
ISE 2018 saw a record breaking 80,923 attendees (including 22,000 newcomers) visit the show. Furthermore, 1,296 exhibitors showcased their products and services in 15 halls. ISE expects ISE2019 to be even bigger. The show also saw the first blooloopLIVE at ISE event and AVIXA’s first TIDE conference in Europe.
Room to grow
Mike Blackman is Managing Director, Integrated Systems Events. He said: “The RAI and Amsterdam have provided a fantastic location. They have been great partners and contributed to the success of the show. However, demand from exhibitors, and the continued increase in the numbers of attendees, showed us that limited floor space was in danger of putting a brake on the show’s development. In spite of all our best efforts this was not an issue we felt could be solved by staying at the RAI Amsterdam.
“We conducted extensive exhibitor and attendee research. We also visited many major exhibition centres in Europe before making this important decision. By announcing our move to one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious convention complexes, we can now continue to focus on creating a unique experience for everyone and confidently plan for long-term development. At the same time, we will ensure that the remaining two editions of ISE at the RAI Amsterdam are the best in its illustrious history. They will be a fitting way to bring our 14-year relationship with the venue and city to a close.”
The Fira de Barcelona has two exhibition venues. It hosts 140 international trade shows each year. Gran Via is also one of Europe’s biggest and most state-of-the-art exhibition venues.
The world’s biggest AV and systems integration show
ISE’s co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA also highlight the positive benefits of the move to Barcelona.
David Labuskes is AVIXA CEO. He said: “Our thinking in coming to this decision has been driven by our desire to serve and deliver value for our members, attendees and exhibitors at ISE. We can better achieve these objectives in a venue that can evolve with us and continue to reflect the market we work in. The continued success of ISE and the growth anticipated in the AV business meant that we knew this decision would need to be taken before too long. I’m delighted that we were able make that decision now so as to control events and to ensure that a smooth transition is possible.”
Tabatha O’Connor is CEDIA Global President and CEO. She said: “Not only is the new venue a state of the art home for our show but the city of Barcelona is one of Europe’s most vibrant and exciting. It’s the perfect choice for an exhibition and growing industry that engenders creativity and commerce.”
Further information on the move to Barcelona for both exhibitors and attendees will be available on a live webcast. This will be hosted on the ISE website at 13:00 CET on Thursday 19th July. Sign up to learn more about ISE’s ambitious plans for future growth.
Images. 1 Header, dragon in Wuyishan & project slide, courtesy ECA2 and Julien Panie.
