ISE 2024 has left us with a great lesson and marks a milestone in sustainability.
Juan Carlos Medina*
During the last Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2024 fair in Barcelona, which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary and broke all possible records with 73,891 attendees, 162 countries represented, more than 1400 exhibitors and the largest exhibition area in the history of the fair (82,000 mts/2). It also filled us with hope about the steps the industry is taking to make us an example for others in terms of sustainability.
ISE 2024 has been a fair marked by a number of new technologies, products that break paradigms and promise to make the user experience see limits not previously imagined. The main and most important brands in the market were present at the event, as well as many that propose new ideas that complement the spectrum of AV technologies in a creative, innovative way and full of challenging trends such as AI and VR.
But, without a doubt, ISE 2024 has also marked a milestone, and that is to be the fair that has shown the greatest commitment to the issue of sustainability. During the tour of the aisles you could see that the vast majority of main exhibitors, that is, the most influential brands in the industry dedicated an exclusive section to promote their policies and their commitment to sustainability.
Policies that help us to know the true commitment that manufacturers have to the responsible production model. Starting with the exposure of their manufacturing processes, where they are prioritizing the use of clean technologies, such as the use of renewable electrical energy instead of that generated by fossil fuels, reducing and in some cases pursuing the goal of zero carbon emissions throughout the supply chain (upstream & downstream), the use of recycled plastics for the manufacture of cabinets and equipment covers, the use of 100% recyclable packaging materials such as those made from bamboo, sugar cane and recycled consumer paper, in short, there was a lot of information available that helps us identify those manufacturers who are taking the issue of sustainability seriously.
It was very inspiring to observe, from the stands built only with recyclable materials, stories such as that of the UK audio equipment manufacturer, who decided to stop importing inputs and focused on manufacturing their equipment with sustainable materials and supplied in a radius close to their factory, in order to reduce the carbon footprint, it was common to find different technologies such as acoustic absorption panels made with PET, speaker manufacturers whose cabinets are made of recycled plastics, environmentally friendly paints and in general many efforts to take care of the elements that put us on a better path to sustainability.
Another great surprise was that, within the statements of different companies, issues such as extending the useful life of the equipment were addressed, emphasizing that the equipment consumes less electrical energy and with "eco" functions, reducing the use of consumable parts and avoiding waste, recycling of electronic waste (e-waste), the implementation of equipment collection programs to recycle it properly, there is even talk again of repairing equipment, all of the above pays off in terms of sustainability by giving a second life to AV equipment.
I cannot fail to comment that right in the corridor where Congress Square was located, in front of the Catalonia pavilion, was the SAVe (sustainability in AV) stand which, for the second consecutive year, was the official sustainability partner of the ISE.
SAVe and ISE had the goal of scaling up our global initiative to bring AV industry stakeholders together to take concerted action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 (SDGs). ISE was the ideal place to increase global visibility, expand, reach and educate the audiovisual industry on how to achieve these indivisible and interrelated goals to ensure a sustainable world for all people.
ISE once again showed its commitment to sustainability issues and integrated a series of conference programs in different forums to address the efforts being made in this area. One of the most important was the European/Latin American AV Summit (ELAS) where we were proud to participate in the panel discussion Bringing the Sustainable Development Goals to the AV Industry representing Mexico and together with my colleagues Colombia and Brazil.
With AV technology acting as a bridge, the European/Latin American AV Summit brought together government representatives and AV business leaders from both regions to foster understanding and strengthen links between individuals, organizations, companies and countries.
The conference programme explored cross-country initiatives, such as the EU-LAC Global Gateway investment agenda. He identified new business opportunities and shared best practices on topics such as regulation and content creation in the audiovisual and digital industries. The program also included topical topics such as AI, talent development, and sustainability.
Likewise, and as part of the SAVe delegation, we were invited to speak at the Tech Talks in Spanish organized by AVIXA to address the topic "Connecting Technology and Sustainability: The Road to a More Sustainable Industry".
The full ISE programme included other activities and a workshop on sustainability, so it has become clear that the industry is taking action, and showing that we can be agents of change.
From my point of view, and I want to share it with all of you, is that the path to sustainability in the AV industry is a reality and we are looking for leaders who want to join this important effort.
For now I am left with the satisfaction of having witnessed that one of the most important forums of the AV industry, we can say, that it was dressed in green.
Until next time and welcome to all those who wish to embark on the path to sustainability.
*Juan Carlos Medina, CTS, is the director of the integration company Viewhaus and SaVe's ambassador for Mexico. You can contact him through [email protected]
