International. Integrated Systems Europe 2018 was the largest and busiest in its 15-year history. It attracted a record number of exhibitors and attendees from around the world for four days of business, education and networking at Rai Amsterdam between 6 and 9 February.
Throughout 15 rooms, visitors experienced a vibrant showcase of the latest AV technologies, systems and product integration, and solutions, as ISE confirmed its position as the preferred international destination for AV professionals.
The number of exhibitors amounted to 1,296, of which 294 exhibited at ISE for the first time. Combined, they filled 53,000 m2 of exhibition space. The floor space already confirmed for ISE 2019 currently represents 103% of the total reserved for ISE 2018.
The number of visitors registered at the end of the show reached 80,923, an increase of 10.3% over the 2017 edition. Importantly, nearly 20,000 visitors attended the last day of the show. On a clearly positive note, more than 30% of total attendees visited ISE for the first time, a key benchmark for exhibitors in their quest to develop new sales opportunities.
Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, commented: "It has been a great show that has been successful on all fronts. I am pleased to report that visitor numbers and exhibitor satisfaction have been very high. On behalf of ISE, I would like to thank all our attendees, exhibitors, partners and our co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA. This combination has made ISE what it is today and ensures that we can build on our successes year after year."
Highlights of the show included: a keynote speech by architect and inventor Carlo Ratti that explored the evolution of smart building and "Senseable cities," nine B2B conferences covering a wide range of AV topics, from innovation and design to theme park, and five days of professional development programming curated and delivered by AVIXA and CEDIA.
ISE 2018 also saw the debut of the World Masters of Projection Mapping competition, a joint venture between Amsterdam Light Festival, RAI Amsterdam and ISE. The competition saw the main video works of the video artist project at the EYE Filmmuseum in the city center. The competition culminated with Florian and Michael Quistrebert receiving the winner's award for their Stripes 5 artwork on the last day of the show.
For both AVIXA and CEDIA, the program provided a unique platform for associations to reinforce recent initiatives and consolidate their key role as providers of exemplary professional development programs.
ISE 2019 will be held at RAI Amsterdam from 5 to 8 February 2019.
