The entry deadline for AV Technology's Best in Market ’21 and Best of Show at ISE 2021 awards programs has been extended until Monday, June 7. The awards are being held in conjunction with five of our industry-leading pro audio and AV titles, including Installation, Mix, Residential Systems, Sound & Video Contractor, and Tech & Learning.

For companies who are exhibiting at ISE 2021, Future’s annual Best of Show at ISE awards program is running in parallel and is open to any company exhibiting at any of ISE’s in-person regional events throughout June, or as part of ISE’s virtual exhibition offering.

[New Best in Market Awards to Recognize Product Innovation During the Summer Season]

NEW FOR 2021: Future’s Best in Market ’21 awards is a new market-wide program showcasing the most innovative technology from around the AV marketplace in the last 12 months. The program is open to all manufacturers of professional AV products and solutions regardless of their exhibitor/non-exhibitor status at this summer’s major trade shows.

For companies who are exhibiting at ISE 2021, Future’s annual Best of Show at ISE awards program is running in parallel and is open to any company exhibiting at any of ISE’s in-person regional events throughout June, or as part of ISE’s virtual exhibition offering.

Nomination Deadline: June 7, 2021

These awards provide the perfect platform to draw attention to the innovative new products and services that professional AV vendors have launched in the last 12 months, publishing nominated products to 130,000-plus industry professionals.

How to enter:

Entries are submitted through our nomination form and are subject to specific criteria, leveling the playing field and ensuring that the judges receive all the pertinent information for each entry in the same format. The Frequently Asked Questions cover more about the entry process, categories, and criteria.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) has fully canceled its events planned for Munich and Amsterdam, which were to be held June 8-9, and June 15-16, respectively.

“We have today made the decision to cancel the ISE events planned for Munich and Amsterdam," said Mike Blackman, managing director Integrated Systems Events. "Whilst we have had good support from both exhibitors and visitors who wanted to get together at a local event, new government regulations regarding COVID-19 in both Germany and the Netherlands have meant that we are unable to guarantee being able to proceed with these two events."  

On April 20, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  issued a "Level 4 Travel Health Notice" for both Germany and the Netherlands due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country.

"Preparations for Barcelona and London are well underway as the governments ease restrictions in both Spain and the UK, and remain on target for the successful return of events," Blackman added. "We are looking forward to bringing the industry together and delivering a platform for those who wish to be there and that will be supported by key exhibiting partners, a program of content and networking. These events will be supported by our online platform ISE Digital, providing our global audience with the opportunity to join us online."

As with most foreign countries, the U.S. government also released a "Level 4 Travel Health Notice" for the United Kingdom  and Spain on April 20, 2021.

Now accepting entries, AV Technology's Best in Market ’21 and Best of Show at ISE 2021 awards programs are being held in conjunction with five of our industry-leading pro audio and AV titles, including Installation, Mix, Residential Systems, Sound & Video Contractor, and Tech & Learning.

For companies who are exhibiting at ISE 2021, Future’s annual Best of Show at ISE awards program is running in parallel and is open to any company exhibiting at any of ISE’s in-person regional events throughout June, or as part of ISE’s virtual exhibition offering.

[New Best in Market Awards to Recognize Product Innovation During the Summer Season]

NEW FOR 2021: Future’s Best in Market ’21 awards is a new market-wide program showcasing the most innovative technology from around the AV marketplace in the last 12 months. The program is open to all manufacturers of professional AV products and solutions regardless of their exhibitor/non-exhibitor status at this summer’s major trade shows.

For companies who are exhibiting at ISE 2021, Future’s annual Best of Show at ISE awards program is running in parallel and is open to any company exhibiting at any of ISE’s in-person regional events throughout June, or as part of ISE’s virtual exhibition offering.

Nomination Deadline: May 28, 2021

These awards provide the perfect platform to draw attention to the innovative new products and services that professional AV vendors have launched in the last 12 months, publishing nominated products to 130,000-plus industry professionals.

How to enter:

Entries are submitted through our nomination form and are subject to specific criteria, leveling the playing field and ensuring that the judges receive all the pertinent information for each entry in the same format. The Frequently Asked Questions cover more about the entry process, categories, and criteria.

Last month, it was announced that Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) was being replaced by ISE Live & Online, a series of two-day in-person events taking place in Barcelona, Munich, Amsterdam, and London. Now, Integrated Systems Events has released more details about its #ISELive&Online program, which will run throughout June. 

ISE Digital

ISE Digital is a two-day festival of content powered by CISCO technology. The platform will provide an intuitive, digital TV-style menu of content that will engage, entertain, and inform. With a comprehensive program of live and on-demand content, ISE Digital will be launched to run concurrently with the Barcelona event on June 1-2, and will be available on demand in the weeks that follow, reactivated with live updates from the Munich, Amsterdam, and London events. Registration for any of the four regional events provides access to this content from launch, and online-only registration is also available.

“We are proud to be partnering with CISCO on ISE Digital," said Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Events managing director. "Working with the industry in this way, we will be providing significant opportunities for teams and individuals to meet their customers, for people to experience product innovations, and of course, for networking.”  

Digital attendees can access interviews, panel discussions, brand stories, product news, demos, and more—either live or on demand. ISE Digital will offer exclusive presentations from technology and service suppliers, and the capability to link up with them directly through the platform.  

ISE Live

The series of live ISE events kicks off June 1-2 at Fira de Barcelona.

“The ISE live events will allow our industry to reconnect with the AV community in four of Europe’s leading AV hubs," said Blackman. "Each local event will provide two full days of networking in a safe, relaxed environment—perfect for catching up with contacts and colleagues. Each event will provide the opportunity to build a new set of ‘high-worth’ connections including leading installers, integrators, and end users.”

The live events schedule is as follows:

• ISE @ Barcelona: June 1-2, Fira de Barcelona, Gran Vía 
• ISE @ Munich: June 7-8, MAC Forum, Munich 
• ISE @ Amsterdam: June 15-16, RAI Amsterdam
• ISE @ London: June 23-24, Evolution, London

“I believe this approach reflects what we’ve heard, a strong desire for prudent and safe face-to-face gatherings that can reinforce business connections and initiate growth.  We are honoured to be in a position to offer these to our community,” added David Labuskes, CEO, AVIXA.

To learn more or to register, visit iseurope.org.

Future—publisher of SCN, AVTechnology, and more—has launched a major new awards program: Best in Market ’21. 

Supported by Installation and seven of its sister publications (including both SCN and AVTechnology), Best in Market ’21 has been introduced to recognize new and recently launched products being promoted during the spring/summer season, and will run alongside Future’s annual Best of Show awards held around ISE. 

Entries for both awards are open now and the entry deadline is May 28.

Best in Market ’21 and Best of Show at ISE 2021 are both supported by eight of Future’s leading magazine brands: Installation, AVTechnology, Mix, Sound & Video Contractor, Residential Systems, Systems Contractor News, Digital Signage Magazine, and Tech & Learning. Each brand represents an award category, and manufacturers can enter any product launched in 2021 into any of them.

Best in Market ’21 is ideal for those not exhibiting at ISE this year, and both awards provide the perfect platform to draw attention to new products and services launching and being promoted during what would have been a busy June period. Thanks to Future’s enormous publication reach, all nominated products will be seen by 130,000+ industry professionals.

Click here to enter or for more information. Entry deadline is May 28.

Registration is now opened to attend at ISE’s in person, local events, and ISE Digital. The four ISE live city events will allow you to reconnect with the industry and network with the AV community in person in four of Europe’s leading AV hubs.

Related: ISE 2021 Canceled, Replaced with Regional and Virtual Events

ISE Digital is powered by a Cisco platform that will engage, entertain, and inform. It will feature keynotes, daily thought leadership, and industry insight and market intelligence curated by TNW, AVIXA, CEDIA, and ISE partners.

The schedule of regional events will be:

• June 1-2, Barcelona Gran Vía, Fira de Barcelona
• June 7-8, MAC Forum, Munich
• June 15-16, RAI, Amsterdam
• June 23-24, Evolution, London

Learn more and register here. 

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), which was due to make its Barcelona debut this year, is being replaced by ISE Live & Online, a series of two-day in-person events taking place in Barcelona, Munich, Amsterdam, and London throughout June that will be supported by an online component powered by Cisco. 

“We have reached this decision following extensive discussions with our exhibitors over the last few months, and more explicitly, these last 10 days," said
Integrated Systems Events managing director Mike Blackman. "All along there has been a clear demand for a four-day ISE show in Barcelona in June. However, uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and international travel remains, which means we are unable to run ISE 2021 in its traditional format. Our exhibitors have made it clear that there is a desire to get the industry together, but on a local level.  In response, we are targeting Europe’s key markets across the AV sector and aim to deliver a quality audience who want to meet potential suppliers, existing customers and network with their peers.”

The schedule for the regional events will be:

• June 1–2, Fira Barcelona 
• June 8-9, MAC Forum, Munich
• June 15–16, RAI, Amsterdam 
• June 23–24, Evolution, Battersea, London 

According to the company, additional details about the regional and virtual events will be available in the coming days.

“COVID has taught us all to listen more attentively,” said David Labuskes, AVIXA CEO.  “Listen to our neighbors, our family, our co-workers, our customers, and our market.  I believe this approach reflects what we’ve heard, a strong desire for prudent and safe face-to-face gatherings that can reinforce business connections and initiate growth.  We are honored to be in a position to offer these to our community.”

“We have been humbled by the many messages of support that we have received from our customers and partners who have appreciated the steps we have taken," continued Blackman. "We look forward to continuing to serve the industry in the year ahead and cannot wait to come back together in Barcelona, delivering the ISE show in February 2022.”

Integrated Systems Events managing director Mike Blackman has confirmed that ISE 2021 will go ahead as an in-person event, while conceding that attendance will be lower than previous years and reiterating the organization’s intention to explore opportunities to take ISE on the road in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.

Blackman had previously stated that ISE 2021 would be canceled as an in-person event if circumstances were to impact the organization’s ability to host, with a March 1 deadline to make a final decision. Today’s announcement is positive news for those hoping to attend, and for exhibitors who are already committed to Barcelona. 

Read Blackman's full statement below:

Integrated Systems Events has been working hard alongside each of you to bring a successful ISE 2021 to Barcelona on June 1-4 this year.

Together with each of you, our shared goal is to deliver a show that prioritizes safety and brings a return on investment to our show community. With the rapid implementation of vaccines, and the current reduction in daily new cases, we see the COVID situation in many European countries (including Spain) improving at an increasing pace.  Based on this positive trend, we anticipate a climate that will make it possible to run an in-person event in Barcelona. However, we are realistic that current attitudes to travel may mean a lower volume of attendance than in previous years.

We are reviewing all options, and are listening carefully to feedback from the industry, with a plan to provide an engaging event in Barcelona for those who wish to be a part of it. 

ISE is a community of over 1,000 exhibitors and nearly 100,000 attendees and has grown as such through working together, focused on growing the market and delivering opportunities for the amazing people that make up this industry.  And we recognize that not all the members of our community are ‘in the same place’ as we conceive of gathering together or traveling to Barcelona.  

For those exhibitors and attendees who are unable to travel to Barcelona, we will offer a robust digital program highlighting unique content that can only be found at ISE. In addition, we are exploring regional opportunities for the local markets of Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, taking ISE on the road for those who may not be able to make it to Barcelona.

Recognizing and respecting the many members of our community we wish to give all our exhibitors the opportunity to choose if they wish to continue to be part of ISE 2021 Barcelona, without hindrance.

This means:

• No penalty fees will be due for any withdrawals that are made before March 5.
• Those exhibitors who are committed at a higher level than they may need, have the opportunity to reduce their commitment without penalty.
• Those companies that decide not to continue and have paid in part or full for ISE 2021 will have the option of a full refund of their monies or be able use this as a credit towards participating in other ISE events in 2021 or even as a deposit/payment for ISE 2022. This is about you and your success now and into the future.
• All exhibitors will retain their priority points from ISE 2020 and be able to participate in the rebooking process for ISE 2022 as dependent on their points and priority ranking.
• As promised before, all companies that exhibit at ISE 2021 will receive 2x the points for their participation at the in person Barcelona event.
• Any companies that participate in the digital part of ISE 2021 or any of the future local events will receive priority points based on the level of their investment.
• In the event you need to cancel hotel reservations, cancellation deadlines have been extended to March 22. 

This past year has provided challenges to all of us in many ways, but we have in common a passion and commitment to go forward, to rebuild and help make our industry even stronger.  We look forward to your continued participation with us at ISE 2021 and beyond.

To learn more about ISE or to register, visit iseurope.org.

Online visitor registration is now open for Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2021, making its debut at Fira de Barcelona, Gran Vía this June. The event will incorporate both live and online content. 

“During the challenging times of the past nine months the importance of ISE to the global AV and systems integration business has never been more apparent," said Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Events managing director. "Many exhibitors and attendees view the show as the catalyst for business recovery. People rely on ISE for inspiration, for finding new suppliers, keeping up with industry innovations, building lasting relationships, and for education. While ISE 2021 will be a little different this year, it will still provide all these opportunities and we look forward to reconnecting with you.”

The event’s new status as a hybrid event means that live content from the show floor will be merged with a digital program–including a live stage, break-out lounges, keynotes, hosted roundtables, one-on-one meets, plus highlights from ISE’s RISE Spotlight program.

Along with its co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, ISE has been working in close participation with the City of Barcelona, the venue, and relevant authorities to ensure the show meets all current COVID protocols. ISE has recently published A Guide to Safe Visiting, outlining the safe practice protocols in place at the venue. 

Pre-registration is required to attend the in-person portion of the event; there will be no on-site registration. Fo more information or to register, visit iseurope.org

Following the news that AVIXA is moving InfoComm 2021 show dates from June 12–18 to Oct. 23–29, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) managing director Mike Blackman issued a statement ensuring attendees that the organization intends to hold ISE as planned June 1–4 in Barcelona.

Read Blackman's full statement about ISE 2021 below.

Dear ISE community,

Following today’s announcement that the InfoComm 2021 show will now take place in Orlando in October 2021, we want to confirm that Integrated Systems Europe, remains scheduled to open live and online on June 1–4, 2021 in its new home at the Fira, Barcelona. 

Whilst we recognize there continue to be challenges ahead, we are in touch with government and the relevant health authorities to constantly monitor the situation. None of us can predict how the situation will look in June, but we are hopeful that by the second quarter of 2021 we will see the world return to a new ‘normal’ with vaccines being rapidly delivered in many countries around the world.

We understand our exhibitors and partners need to make commitments that will incur cost and we do not wish to burden them unnecessarily. For this reason, if circumstances impact our ability to host an in-person event and we are forced to cancel this element of ISE, we will make this decision by March 1. 

With the backdrop of the global pandemic, our priority in recent months has been devising the means to deliver a safe and secure event for all exhibitors and visitors and we have been working closely with the City of Barcelona, the venue, and relevant authorities. 

In early January, Fira de Barcelona received the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, an internationally recognized endorsement from the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC), developed in collaboration with the specialist risk management consultancy Aon and the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.  

ISE has also published A Guide to Safe Visiting, outlining the safe practice protocols that have been put in place with the Fira Gran Vía to ensure that the visitor experience is safe and secure. The guide can be located on the ISE website.

Looking ahead to June, we can confirm that today, over 37,000 sqm of space is signed up with just under 700 exhibitors confirmed and new companies continuing to book their place on the floorplan. 

Next week sees online visitor registration open, coming at a time when we realize the industry is keen to ‘get back to work’ in the second half of the year. Feedback from our recent customer research shows that the industry is looking forward to meeting as soon as the situation allows and we are currently updating the research to measure current sentiment amongst both our exhibitors and visitors.

In a time where many of our industry colleagues are suffering financially or have lost their jobs or businesses, we at ISE are striving to do everything we can to contribute to the industry getting back on its feet. 

I would personally like to thank all our customers, partners and colleagues within the industry which we serve and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Integrated Systems Events and The Next Web launched RISE Spotlight, a monthly series of digital events, on November 24. A curated panel of industry specialists tackled the hot topic of “Workspace Evolution” in lively digital discussions with plenty of audience participation. With extremely positive feedback from participants, RISE Spotlight was welcomed by an AV industry eager to network and discover what is next. 

The RISE digital program offers a monthly dose of ISE, which given the current global situation, could not have launched at a better time. The program includes virtual events plus online editorial content including a collection of interviews called RISE Culture, which link to the monthly theme but also touch on cultural issues such as inclusion. The Big Read is an in-depth feature article, authored by an industry expert, which takes a deep dive into the theme. This content is live at www.iseurope.org and featured within the RISE Connect newsletter. 

Related: AV Network Nation Approved for 4.75 AVIXA CTS RUs

RISE Spotlight events, produced in partnership with TNW and supported by ISE co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, are hosted on virtual event platform Hopin and have been designed to encourage industry engagement through compelling speaker sessions, a live audience Q&A chat function, and networking opportunities. 

The first two-hour Spotlight event attracted an international audience from 60 countries. It included an opening keynote with John Egan, CEO of L’Atelier, a Reporter Roundtable panel discussion, an “On the Sofa with ISE” interview with Marit Janssen of ABN AMRO, Startup Nation business showcase, and Watercooler Virtual Meets networking. It was hosted by Callum Booth, a TNW editor.

AVIXA and CEDIA both contributed expertise to the program. Sean Wargo, senior director of market intelligence, presented AVIXA Insights into the unified communications and collaboration market. CEDIA’s Ed Wenck (content director) and Walt Zerbe (senior director of technology and standards) hosted a networking session about optimizing technology in the work-from-home environment, while Wargo’s networking session discussed preparing for next-level collaborative working.  

Post-event attendee research carried out by Integrated Systems Events revealed that just under four-fifths of attendees (79.4 percent) rated the online experience as good or excellent. Willingness to recommend the event to a business friend or colleague was high, with an average score of 8 on a scale of 10.

“The first RISE Spotlight has been a great success and we’re pleased to have received some really positive feedback from attendees,” said Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events. “I’d like to thank all of our speakers for sharing their expertise, our sponsor Nureva and TNW for their continued support. We know the ISE community cannot wait to get back to face-to-face events and we look forward to getting together with you all in Barcelona next year. In the meantime, join us for more digital events in the months ahead, as we take a closer look at some of the key topics in the AV industry today.” 

The “Workspace Evolution” Reporter Roundtable panel included John Egan, CEO, L’Atelier; Marit Johnson, transformation consultant, ABN AMRO; Jon Sidwick, president, Collabtech Group; Nancy Knowlton, president and CEO of Nureva Inc; and was moderated by Már Másson Maack,editor of Growth Quarters, TNW. 

All the sessions, including the opening keynote, Reporter Roundtable, On the Sofa and Startup Nation are available to watch on demand at here. 

The next RISE Spotlight takes place on December 15 at 9:00am Eastern (14:00 GMT) with the theme “XR in Today’s Reality.” Register now to take part.    

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2021 will take place at the Fira de Barcelona, Gran Vía, on June 1-4, 2021.

If you haven’t heard, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is officially moving from Feb. 2-5, 2021 to June 1-4, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AVNetwork sat down with Joé Lloyd, AVIXA’s senior director of communications, to hear the latest information on ISE 2021 and InfoComm 2021.

“Research shows us that people definitely want to get back to face-to-face meetings,” said Lloyd. “While everybody has their own personal timeline of when that will happen, the majority of people feel like May/June is the time of year that people will be able to come back together.”

“As an organization, we’ll be able to bring AV professionals back together in that timeframe,” she continued. “There will be a show in Asia, a show in Europe, and a show in North America, all in a timeframe that our audiences have told us that they want to get together.”

Lloyd added that AVIXA is trying to bring back face-to-face meetings in a safe way, rejuvenating the industry and the community, but always keeping the safety of all of those who take part in their events—from attendees to exhibitors to staff, and even the hotel, restaurant, transit, and other workers in the local communities—at the forefront of plans.

While two major industry trade shows taking place in the same month may create a conundrum for some AV professionals, Lloyd pointed out that the audiences do not overlap as much as you might think. “From a U.S. perspective, we look at ISE as our show, just in another country,” she said. “But what’s interesting is that when you look at the attendee breakdown, these really are regionalized shows.”

According to AVIXA and ISE, less than 5 percent of ISE attendees in 2019 were from the United States, and less than 11 percent of InfoComm 2019 attendees were from outside of the Americas.

The two shows “are not competitive,” Lloyd claims. While ISE caters to both the residential and commercial markets, InfoComm focuses solely on pro AV. According to ISE’s data, 53.7 percent of ISE attendees focus solely on the pro AV market, with 38.7 percent focused on both commercial and residential. “InfoComm is pro AV all the way,” Lloyd said.

“InfoComm is not moving [because of the ISE date change],” Lloyd said firmly.  “The show, with all of our best intentions, is happening in June. We’re moving full steam ahead with a fabulous show and it’s happening June 12–18, with the exhibit hall open June 16–18.”

For more information on ISE 2021, visit www.iseurope.org.

For more information on InfoComm 2021, visit www.infocommshow.org.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE)—scheduled to take place Feb. 2–5, 2021, in Barcelona—has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be rescheduled for June 1-4, 2021.

“The health and safety of our team, exhibiting companies, industry partners, and  attendees is our number one priority,” said Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events. “Given the understandable concerns among all of our stakeholders regarding coronavirus, and the uncertainty regarding travel restrictions and country lockdowns, we have concluded it is not prudent to maintain our original schedule of an in-person February 2021 trade show.”

The February 2021 show was scheduled to be the Barcelona debut of ISE, which has taken place in Amsterdam since 2006. 

[ISE's Mike Blackman on ISE 2021 and the Future of Pro AV]

“We’re at the beginning of a bigger and better journey,” Blackman said when the move to Barcelona was announced. “It’s been a long journey since our first show in 2004, and now we’re at the beginning of a new one.”

“AVIXA is proud to be a partner with CEDIA in delivering ISE to the audiovisual industry each year. We fully support ISE’s decision to postpone the first show in Barcelona until June 2021," said David Labuskes, CEO, AVIXA. "This isn’t a trivial undertaking and has thousands of moving parts, but in making this decision, ISE reaffirms their commitment to the health of all those who participate in these events from the taxi cab driver to the exhibitor teams.  And all of those same people will be even more committed to be a part of the extravaganza that ISE promises to be.” 

For more information on ISE, visit iseurope.org.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) has published new safety measure for exhibitors and exhibition staff for its 2021 show, scheduled to take place at the Fira de Barcelona, Gran Vía on February 2-5.

According to event organizers, Fira de Barcelona, risk consultancy AON, and the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona have jointly devised strategies for events at the Fira. This has involved the evaluation and analysis of more than 60 processes or services, leading to the identification of 948 mitigation points. 

The measures for ensuring a healthy and safe environment ISE 2021 are available as a comprehensive set of guidelines for exhibitors, ISE, and Fira staff. They can be found in A Guide to Safe Exhibiting, published by show organizer Integrated Systems Events.

The Guide is organized into four sections: Actions by Fira de Barcelona and ISE; Stand Design; Stand Management; and Visitor Guidance. Each section contains essential measures in the areas of health and safety; traffic flow and visitor management; staff, stand personnel and supplier working; and social distancing.

“We have understandably had many questions from exhibitors and others about how ISE 2021 will be affected by the continuing public health situation," said Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events. "A Guide to Safe Exhibiting explains the adjustments that we and our exhibitors will need to make to ensure that the show is as safe as it can possibly be. The situation continues to evolve and we will update the Guide if any changes to the strategy are required. We remain committed to holding ISE 2021 at the Fira next February as an in-person event.” 

A Guide to Safe Exhibiting can be downloaded from tinyurl.com/safe-exhibiting. As the situation develops, the information will be updated and re-presented.

Planning for Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2021 is well underway with its organizers, Integrated Systems Events, committed to delivering a compelling and safe exhibition for the AV community.

“ISE is committed to delivering an engaging in-person event in Barcelona and is taking all necessary steps to deal with the new post-pandemic reality that will impact those attending exhibitions and conducting international business," said Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events.

The 17th edition of ISE is set to take place at its new home at the Fira de Barcelona, Gran Vía, Feb. 2-5, 2021. The exhibition center plans to reopen for business in September 2020 following the completion of a collaboration with risk mitigation consultancy AON and the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, which will determine the specific security criteria for holding B2B events at the venue later this year. 

[ISE's Mike Blackman on ISE 2021 and the Future of Pro AV]

“The Fira de Barcelona has partnered with AON and the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona and other experts  to create a set of safety protocols that are designed to guarantee health and safety around the conditioning of spaces and the regulation of visitor flows," Blackman added. "This work started in April and involves risk evaluation, the creation of mitigation strategies, and an action plan. Once completed, guidelines for event organizers and exhibitors will be communicated."

The exhibition center will house a new-look ISE featuring nine dedicated technology zones in an easy to navigate layout, according to show organizers. The zones include: Audio, Broadcast and Content Creation, Digital Signage and DooH, Education, Live Events, Residential, Smart Building, Unified Communications, and VR/AR/XR.  

ISE will also be developing the show’s digital reach to help engage with a bigger audience than before. This will include a wide selection of cross-platform live ISE content being made available, along with many other engaging digital opportunities to help attendees connect with the technology innovators, as well as hear from thought leaders and experts.

“We are listening and adjusting to ensure the show continues to provide the connections the industry needs to grow brands and business," concluded Blackman. "We are determined and confident that we can deliver a compelling show in a safe and secure environment.”

For more information on ISE 2021, visit iseurope.org. 

To read more ISE 2021 news, visit avnetwork.com/tag/ise.

Installation's James McKeown chats with Integrated Systems Europe's (ISE) managing director  Mike Blackman to discuss how his organization is dealing with COVID-19, the pandemic's effect on planning for Barcelona 2021, and the response of the global AV marketplace during this extraordinary period of challenge.

Blackman also reflects on his nomination for this year’s inaugural Pro AV Power 20, the future of trade shows generally, and what needs to change in the AV industry.

Watch the interview with Blackman below.

The winners of this year’s AV Technology Europe Awards will be announced during Awards Week, June  23-25. Sign up for Installation’s newsletters here to keep up to date with all Awards updates, announcements, and for unique daily coverage of the AV marketplace. 

To read more ISE 2021 news, visit avnetwork.com/tag/ise.

The What: Onelan is looking to "optimize workspace and resource management" with the launch of its Reserva Analytics and Reporting solution at ISE 2020.

The What Else: A future-proof  and scalable solution, the Reserva Analytics tool can visualize data for an unlimited number of rooms. For ease of monitoring, it also allows rooms to be divided into groups and categories, according to factors, such as location, company department, or the type of space. 

The solution is equally flexible when it comes to deciding over what time period should be included in the dashboard. Organizations are free to reconfigure settings and select from a whole host of time frame options, which span from 24-hour periods to five-year overviews.

[Free Download: The North American Guide to ISE 2020]

With the User Behavior feature, business and educational institutions of all sizes have an opportunity to analyze and address the impact of employee behavior on facilities management. The “no show” analytics is used to highlight the meeting organizers, who most regularly fail to check in and go through with the meetings they book. 

The Bottom Line: This browser-based graphical dashboard provides historical data over pre-defined or custom date ranges, enabling organizations to base their long-term strategic decisions on proven quantitative data with information available for all rooms, a single room, or a custom group of rooms. 

Onelan's Reserva Analytics and Reporting solution can be seen at ISE 2020 on Stand 8-C282.

To read more ISE 2020 news, visit avnetwork.com/tag/ise.

The What: Onelan is taking meeting room signage to the next level at ISE 2020 with its room booking solution, Reserva Edge. 

The What Else: Providing a sleek, edge-to-edge glass design, and anti-fingerprint finish, Reserva Edge features fully concealed cables and connectors to ensure a minimalist and contemporary look. 

For optimum visibility, it offers a unique portrait-orientated, tilted touchscreen interface, enabling meeting room notifications to be seen from either a seated or standing position. Thanks to its large LED status bar, meeting room availability can also be checked from outside a glass-wall room, reducing the risk of any meeting interruptions from those seeking last-minute workspace.

[Free Download: The North American Guide to ISE 2020]

Built on the scalable Onelan Net-Top Box platform, Reserva Edge features an interface that is easy to manage, either remotely from a web browser, or centrally from the ONELAN Content Management System (CMS). 

The Bottom Line: To offer a future-proof and flexible solution, Reserva Edge integrates with a wide-range of market-leading calendar and scheduling platforms, including Microsoft Office365, Google Calendar, and Scientia. 

Reserva Edge not only works to optimize workspace, but also to provide a dynamic communications platform on which businesses, educational institutions, and hospitality venues can advertise, build brand awareness, and share their internal communications.

Onelan's Reserva Edge can be seen at ISE 2020 on Stand 8-C282.

To read more ISE 2020 news, visit avnetwork.com/tag/ise.

In case you (somehow) haven’t heard, ISE is moving.

From 2021, the world’s biggest AV trade show will wave a fond final farewell to the RAI Amsterdam after 14 years, relocating 1,000 miles south to the warmer climates (even in February) of Barcelona.

Welcoming the show with its open arms (and its estimated €470 million injection to the local economy), will be the Gran Via. With 200,000 sqm of space (almost four times that of the RAI), it’s one of Europe’s largest purpose built exhibition centers, capable of accommodating north of 110,000 visitors and 2,400 plus exhibitors inside its eight giant hanger-like halls.

“We’re at the beginning of a bigger and better journey,” lauded the show’s founder and MD, Mike Blackman. “It’s been a long journey since our first show in 2004, and now we’re at the beginning of a new one.”

The move has been well received by the AV industry, many of which have joined ISE on its (said) journey since it began life in front of just 120 exhibitors and 3,500 visitors in Geneva before going Dutch.

Since then, ISE—to borrow a quote from Blackman—has mutated into a “beast” of a show, with its latest installment again smashing all records before it, attracting close to 81,000 visitors and 1,300 exhibitors.

“When I was headhunted and asked to take a look at the opportunity of launching ISE, I thought it was interesting and had the potential to grow,” reminisced Blackman. “But I could have never imagined it would grow this big and this fast into the beast that it is today. It’s gone way beyond my expectations. It’s way beyond anyone’s expectations!”

Adios

And it’s not about to slow down anytime soon, which has forced its hand into buying a one-way ticket to Spain following ISE 2020. The AV industry continues to grow at pace as it continues to play a greater and more intrinsic role for businesses and consumers alike, particularly when discussing experience.

According to figures published by ISE’s parent company AVIXA, the AV industry worldwide generated $178 billion in 2016. Through to 2022, it is expected that global AV revenues will increase 4.7 percent annually, creating an additional $52 billion in value during the remainder of the forecast period.

“We’re lucky because we’re in an industry that’s ever evolving,” said Blackman. “The channel probably won’t increase that much, but for the buyers, that’s where we’ll continue to see a rise."

Each year, attendance numbers continue to rise by around six percent, a trajectory which could see numbers reach 100,000 by 2021. In addition, demand for space from existing, new and prospective exhibitors shows no signs of abating and remains a constant battle.

To put it simply, the RAI has become a victim of ISE’s success, with demand now outgrowing supply.

“AV is key to experiences,” said Blackman. “More and more companies are putting collaboration rooms in their offices. More and more companies are using video conferencing. More and more retailers are getting involved in using AV as part of how they sell and present their products. VR is being used in car showrooms. It’s touching more and more of these companies. It’s not the fact we’re trying to grab more people, it’s more that people are getting more and more interested in what we have to offer."

“If we look at the floor space, based on our expectations, my honest belief based on where the industry is going and what’s happening and where we see potential growth, I believe within 10 years, we can double the size of the show," continued Blackman. "We’re at 55,000 net square meters right now and we believe we can double the size of the show within 10 years.”

Even the addition of Hall 15—the country’s largest temporary pavilion—adding 11,500 sqm of extra space (taking totals above 55,000 sqm) during this year’s show, failed to alleviate the problem.

Blackman revealed that Hall 15 allowed exhibitors with stands covering less than 200 sqm, the option of taking an additional 30 sqm, should they wish. Many of them did, resulting in a number of smaller stands (10-12 m2) were forced out, something ISE hadn’t foreseen with the addition space from Hall 15.

As a direct consequence, ISE had to turn down 144 different companies that wanted to exhibit—a gut-wrenching and frustrating prospect for any business.

“When we decided to put on the big pavilion [Hall 15] at the front of the RAI, it filled up straight away,” explained Blackman. “That really caught us off-guard, because we felt we still had space to grow. Sadly, we were faced with a situation that meant we couldn’t accommodate everyone, and those smaller stands at the bottom of the list no longer had a space to exhibit. It’s terrible to think you’re turning business away, but we didn’t have any other option. We’ve helped to rectify that by taking another pavilion for ISE 2019, which will accommodate some, but not all of them. It’s a constant firefight.”

It was this predicament that proved to be a defining moment for ISE in Amsterdam, with the decision to leave decided in April, just a couple of months following the conclusion of ISE 2018. The RAI was informed of the decision in May.

Hola!

Plan B kicked into gear 18 months ago, starting with ISE holding numerous discussions and conducting surveys with selected exhibitors and attendees to get an accurate consensus from the market on their feelings towards the show remaining at the RAI and a possible move away.

During this time, Blackman also began visiting and holding discussions with leading venues in all leading cities across Europe to find a suitable replacement and accommodate its long-term plans.

Whilst space was a primary need, there were a long list of others requirements to factor in before a final decision could be made. These included securing the availability and reasonable pricing for hotels, transportation both to Barcelona, and getting to and from the show, amongst others. All things considered, the Gran Via was the outstanding choice.

“We looked at all the major European capitals to see what they had to offer in terms of their facilities, infrastructure, accommodation and all those sorts of things," Blackman said. "After we’d decided Barcelona was the place we wanted to go we had to first make sure the total package was right for everyone. That needed to be agreed before we signed anything—otherwise we wouldn’t be in a strong negotiating position."

He continued: “The hotels were a key part of that, because we didn’t want the news to come out that we’re coming to Barcelona and all the hotels saying (rubbing his hands), great, we want €500 a night during that week. We worked closely with the venue and the mayor and everything is in place. It’s going to be a great venue for us.”

Wrapping up our chat, Blackman admitted he has plenty of sympathy for those at the RAI who have, in many ways, joined ISE on its growth journey—although he concedes he may, to some, come across as something of a bad guy.

With ISE being the largest trade show held in the city, he knows the void being left will be difficult to fill, both financially for the venue and the wider city.

He revealed ISE could have made its exit from the RAI at the end of next year’s show (2019), but has instead opted for an additional year (2020), increasing the chances for the RAI to secure a replacement.

“It’s like a rental contract with a house,” Blackman explained. "You don’t want to leave someone in the lurch, so we’ve given them time to go out to the market with a free slot in 2021. We’ll be doing other things there in the future, too, so we want to maintain a good working relationship. The RAI has been and remains a great partner for us. I’ve always been straight with them and they’ve always been straight with us. It’s a great city and its really embraced ISE over the years."

“I’ll always remember speaking to a taxi driver, who told me that the busiest time of year for his was during ISE, joking the rest of the year, we [fellow drivers] eat hamburgers, but during ISE, they eat steak," Blackman mused. "It showed the impact we have on the city and the people within it. It wasn’t just a show in February, it was ISE. The whole city has embraced us. In the buildup to a show, you see restaurants and bars displaying signs saying ‘ISE Builder Special’ Our leaving will create quite a vacuum."

“The ambition now is to replicate that in our new home," Blackman concluded. "We’ll miss Amsterdam, but the long-term future for ISE is in Barcelona.”

Visitors to ISE 2021 in Barcelona will each be given access to free travel for the duration of the show on the city's Metro rail network.

The deal was made as part of the negotiation phase between ISE, the Gran Via, and the city—saving every visitor at least €30 each.

The move follows similar deals agreed for at other large scale events held in the city, such as Mobile World Congress, which attracts north of 100,000 visitors.

“Part of the deal to hold the event in Barcelona was that attendees and exhibitors would have free transportation with their badge," said Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Europe events managing director. "We negotiated the package and these are significant things to help ensure everything runs to the best it can be.”

ISE said it will look at providing chartered flights for attendees and exhibitors located in areas where demand for flights to Barcelona is high, but supply is low.

Speaking to AVTE, ISE MD Mike Blackman said that ISE plans to speak with airlines around Europe where flights are scarce or likely to sell out quickly, potentially leaving people unable to attend or pay sky-high prices.

He said, where additional capacity from the airlines directly is not possible, ISE will instead look at bridging the deficit themselves.

Related: On the Move

“We’re going to work with the airlines to try and get them to increase their capacities where required," said Blackman. "If the airlines can't help us, and we think there aren’t enough seats flying from, say, London to Barcelona, then we will negotiate charters. We’re not going into competition with the airliners, but at the end of the day, we want people to be able to get here and for a reasonable price."

Integrated Systems Europe events managing director Mike Blackman has assured attendees and exhibitors that no stone will be left unturned to ensure a smooth transition when ISE leaves Amsterdam for Barcelona in 2021.

With the move away from the RAI in Amsterdam, its home for 14 years, some have suggested the event could take a hit in attendee and exhibitor numbers due to a level of unfamiliarity and uncertainty around its new home.

However, Blackman said ISE is working hard to eliminate potential obstacles ahead, having held discussions with Fira and the local governments.

“We have started the preparation for this process," he said. "There are already plans and meetings in place to ensure the smooth transfer from Amsterdam to Barcelona. So, we’ve made plans and I’m certain that it will work.”

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE)—widely recognized as the world’s largest gathering of AV professionals—is moving from Amsterdam to Barcelona in 2021. The potential move was the talk of this year’s show as temporary structures had to be erected to simply accommodate the current number of exhibitors and visitors.

The 2018 show attracted close to 81,000 attendees and 1,300 exhibitors; with an average growth of 10 percent per year, it’s clear the show needed to make a move.

“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,” said Mike Blackman managing director, Integrated Systems Events. “In spite of all our best efforts this was not an issue we felt could be solved by staying at the RAI Amsterdam.”

After 18 months of research, the decision was made to make the Gran Via, part of the Fira de Barcelona exhibition complex, the new permanent home for ISE. “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,” added Tabatha O’Connor, CEDIA global president and CEO. “It’s the perfect choice for an exhibition and growing industry that engenders creativity and commerce.”

Those are the official statements, but what do people in the industry really think about the move? We asked a variety of #AVTweeps about ISE Barcelona and here’s what they had to say:

Barcelona offers unique assets to both exhibitors and attendees. As a leading city in the field of technology, innovation, and design, with a rich ecosystem of more than 1.250 startups, it’s a perfect fit for ISE and the growing audiovisual industry to keep enhancing the experience for attendees. Having a much larger venue could make it even easier to engage with other industries as the lines separating them become blurrier, creating a sweet spot for open innovation. Barcelona itself provides the ideal atmosphere for such a compelling event: Mediterranean gastronomy, good weather, and excellent mobility options within the city. Amsterdam RAI has been a great location for ISE and the biggest challenge in Barcelona will be to keep developing the show to achieve continued success. We certainly will miss waffles as much as hanging around through the channels at midnight.

—Marc Torné, Sales Director, Ditec Communications

Anyone who has experienced the rapid growth of ISE, particularly over the past few years, will have seen how popular it has become. Although this growth has been great for the industry, it has meant navigation of the show can be tricky—particularly at pinch points between halls. The move to Barcelona from the RAI in 2021 should allow for a more comfortable experience for visitors and exhibitors alike. Plus, of course, we hope for a milder climate as we move further south! Datapath have always enjoyed a fantastic response to our ISE presence and we look forward to even bigger and better things in Barcelona.

—Kay Mumford, Marketing Communications Manager, Datapath

Change can be difficult and unpredictable. The lack of familiarity for us will present the biggest challenges with the move from Amsterdam, but at the same time, we are looking forward to becoming familiar with Barcelona. The RAI in Amsterdam was becoming too small to continue to host ISE, and it was difficult to navigate the show because of the various exhibition halls. Because the RAI was at capacity, it contributed to cost increases for exhibit space that was making the show much more costly for the exhibitors. Having a larger exhibit space will encourage new exhibitors to attend, and it should help to keep the exhibit space affordable. Of course, the warmer weather in Spain will also be nice.

—Kevin Main, President, Torus Power

Having a larger space to accommodate the growth of an amazing show! Plus, our luggage will be lighter since we don’t have to pack as many cold-weather clothes. There won’t be as many direct flights for our U.S.-based colleagues, but we know they’ll be happy to put up with the flight time to get to Barcelona!

—Matthew Packer, Sales Development Director, Asia Pacific, Biamp

. The challenge is knowing whether the customers and the exhibitors will accept the new location and attend—especially not knowing the full cost of travel to Barcelona yet.

—Jochen Roggenkämper, Owner, Datavision, Datavision Deutschland GmbH

Amsterdam was a great location and helped QSC reach out to our most important clients in the EMEA region, which in turn aided in our growth in that region. As QSC continues to focus on the EMEA region and the industry diversifies with more and more IT and end users visiting ISE, the move to Barcelona provides the additional space we need to showcase even more holistic offerings to these new customers as well as our channel partners. We are very excited about ISE’s decisions to relocate and look forward to the opportunities to connect with new customers.

—Joe Pham, CEO and President, QSC

As an exhibitor and an attendee, AVI-SPL is excited for the move to Barcelona. With the continued growth and success of ISE, as well as our industry demands, the venue change to the more spacious Fira de Barcelona will help support strong engagements and ensure we can continue to create memorable event experiences for our customers, partners, and suppliers. For the first few years, more pre-event preparation and logistics planning will be required—we will just need to navigate the newness of the event changing locations to Barcelona.

—Dale Bottcher, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, AVI-SPL

There is always a lot of excitement surrounding a move to a new tradeshow venue. Having a larger space will definitely help accommodate the continued growth of ISE, making it easier for manufacturers and attendees to get the most out of their experience. While a new move is always exciting, there is always a little trepidation as well. How much of the lure of ISE is due to the central Amsterdam location and will the 80k+ attendees make the same trip to Spain? From a manufacturer point of view, your investment and ROI is driven by traffic at the show so knowing what to expect at the RAI is comforting and makes it easier to prepare for the show. However, a new venue could bring increased attendance and new opportunities.

—Lauren Simmen, Marketing Manager AMETEK Electronic Systems Protection

Barcelona sounds exciting, especially for people like me who come from warmer parts of the world. It will be a great business atmosphere, with opportunities to meet casually outdoors without having to dress up in layers. I expect a lot more customers to join us due to very favorable weather. I understand that Fira Barcelona has more modern facilities, which will provide equal benefits for both exhibitors and visitors.

—Girish Narayanan, Managing Director, Granteq

The facilities in Barcelona have the scale to house an expanding ISE for the foreseeable future. Ensuring that the physical space is up to the demands from the market is a strong strategic move that will serve end users, manufacturers, and developers well. The ambiance of Amsterdam, even in winter, is hard to leave behind, but I am looking forward to learning more about Barcelona and all that it has to offer as host city to ISE.

—Nancy Knowlton, CEO, Nureva

As a company passionate about design, we're looking forward to immersing ourselves in Barcelona's rich history of art and architecture and their incredible culture. While we loved our time in Amsterdam, we're excited for a change of scenery and to have new places to be inspired by. We do a lot of work in Spain and have great partners there and we think the move has the potential to bring a new audience and new opportunities to the show.

—Noah Kaplan, Founder and President, Leon Speakers

I think the best part about the move is the reorganization of the show floor, eliminating much of the chaos of the RAI. ISE may organize the halls logically by general categories, making it much easier for show-goers to navigate the show floor and discover suppliers and solutions that may have been hard to find in the past. Many exhibitors cover multiple categories, so the challenge for ISE is quite significant, but I do expect tremendous improvements.

—Mitchell Klein, Executive Director, Z-Wave Alliance

After many years as an exhibitor at ISE in Amsterdam, we are sad to say goodbye to a great venue and city. Moving to a new venue and city in 2021 we expect will take some getting used to as far as determining the best place to exhibit on the show floor, working with a new on-site crew and getting to know the city of Barcelona. However, these are not major challenges to overcome—to new beginnings!

—Loren Shaw, Vice President of Marketing, InFocus

Amsterdam has been a great ISE venue for many years, but home technology has been taking off quickly in the European markets and the industry has clearly outgrown the space. We’re excited for the show’s move for greater space, new venues for our annual dealer party and awards, and hopefully even to welcome new attendees. Especially because we can showcase our residential as well as some of our commercial offerings at the show, we anticipate having more ways to do so in Barcelona in the future.

—Brad Hintze, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Control4

The new Mediterranean destination with warmer climate is a plus. But more importantly, the larger convention center, Fira de Barcelona, will allow for future growth, more attendees, and easier navigation of the show floor. As a founding member of ISE, we are excited for the move to Barcelona and support the continued growth and success of ISE.

—Vijita U.G., Marketing Manager, Stewart Filmscreen

While Amsterdam has always served as a fantastic venue to host ISE, it is great to see that they are accommodating the continued growth of our industry—not to mention in yet another beautiful city. From our standpoint, the move can only serve as a positive because it will make more room for more attendees and exhibitors and continue to foster international growth for exhibitors. It's a win-win for all.

—Josh Carlson, Senior Marketing Communications Manager, D-Tools

Integrated Systems Events, the producers of the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) exhibition, has announced that its 2021 edition will be held at Gran Via, part of the Fira de Barcelona exhibition complex in Spain on February 2-5.

The new venue will become the permanent location for the world’s largest AV and systems integration show.

The decision to relocate the ISE exhibition comes after 18 months of research into the viability of remaining at the RAI Amsterdam. With annual growth in ISE exhibitors and attendees approaching 10 percent, and the international AV market forecast to grow by 5 percent per annum through to 2021, it was concluded that ISE was outgrowing its popular Amsterdam location.

ISE 2018 attracted 80,923 attendees, of which 22,000 were visiting the show for the first time while 1,296 exhibitors filled 53,000 net sqm of floor space in 15 halls. ISE 2019 is expected to increase on these record breaking figures.

“The RAI and Amsterdam have provided a fantastic location, been great partners, and contributed to the success of the show," said Mike Blackman, managing director Integrated Systems Events. "But, 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 and visited many major exhibition centers 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 and a fitting way to bring our 14-year relationship with the venue and city to a close.”

The Fira de Barcelona is one of Europe’s most prestigious convention and conference locations. The complex has two exhibition venues and hosts 140 international trade shows each year, featuring more than 30,000 exhibitors and attracting over two million attendees. In total, it has over 400,000 square meters of floor space and 14 halls.

Gran Via is one of Europe’s largest and most modern exhibition venues. It blends outstanding architecture with exceptional functionality across eight halls and 200,000 square meters of exhibition floor space. It also offers unparalleled visitor flow and state-of-the art services and logistics. It is conveniently placed for access to the nearby international airport and public transport.

ISE’s co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA are keen to highlight the positive benefits of the decision to relocate.

“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," said David Labuskes, AVIXA CEO. "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, CEDIA global president and CEO, commented: “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.”

Fira is one of the Europe’s leading trade fair organizations and is closely linked to the Barcelona brand, a city with over a century of trade fair tradition. Its annual economic contribution to the city of Barcelona and its surroundings is estimated at more than €2,600 million. Fira is a consortium comprising the Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Generalitat and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, which combines public ownership with autonomous company management.

Both, the ISE 2019 and 2020 editions will take place at the RAI Amsterdam and are forecast to be the largest and most successful in the show’s 16-year history.