Commercial Integrator February 2021 - 8

CI NEWS IN BRIEF RECENT STORIES PEOPLE AND PLACES WHAT'S NEW
AV Industry Research Highlights Value of In-Person Events
AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT,
AVTweeps around the world
can't wait to get together in
person again-as soon as it's
safe to do so.
Integrated Systems Europe
commissioned research in October
that, targeted AV professionals
to evaluate visitor
appetites for conferences and
events following COVID-19.
The research, completed
before news of a COVID-19
vaccine, was carried out
by Fusion-Insight to gauge
interest in face-to-face, digital
and hybrid event formats. The
results show that 98% of the
audience missed attending
in-person AV industry events.
ISE was forced to postpone
its Barcelona debut in
February 2021 due to the
coronavirus pandemic. In the
absence of in-person events,
there has been a sharp rise in
digital events to fulfil education,
networking, and profiling
agendas.
ISE launched its own series
of digital events called RISE
Spotlight.
" Virtual events are useful for
lead generation, deepening
customer relationships and
too, " said Blackman.
" The annual calendar
ISE was forced to postpone its Barcelona debut in February
2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The ISE research consisted
of a web-based survey sent to
ISE's database and a collection
of in-depth interviews with ISE
exhibitors. The survey generated
711 completed responses
analyzed and used within the
research by Fusion Insight and
Strategy.
People from 96 countries
(71% of respondents
were based in Europe, 13%
North America, 8% Asia, 5%
Middle-East, 1% Central and
South America, 1% Australia
and New Zealand, 1% Africa)
responded to the survey with
95% having attended ISE before
(60% in February 2020).
" We are working very hard towards
the goal of ISE 2021 in Barcelona in
June next year and it is reassuring to
confirm that strong demand is there too. "
- Mike Blackman, managing director, ISE
building brand profile but live
experiences such as touching,
seeing and hearing AV products,
are yet to be replicated, "
said the ISE announcement.
Integrated Systems Europe
(ISE) 2021 is now scheduled
to be at the Fira de Barcelona
Gran Vía June 1-4, 2021.
8
Inside the ISE Numbers
Findings show that 98% of
the research audience missed
attending events, with 42%
of these missing meeting and
networking with people the
most, 32% missing the live experience
of products, and 21%
missing the direct exchange
Commercial Integrator FEBRUARY 2021
with suppliers and customers.
Almost 70% of the audience
is ready to attend in-person
trade shows and 57% would
be ready to visit international
ones. Given that this research
was conducted before news
of a vaccine, it shows a desire
to get back out to physical
events again.
As well as the independent
market research study, ISE also
spoke to key exhibitors who
also confirmed their desire to
return to in-person activities.
" We felt it very important to
listen to our industry in shaping
our offering for 2021 and
so we commissioned independent
market research specialists
to conduct this intelligence
project for us, " said Integrated
Systems Europe managing
director Mike Blackman.
" The results clearly demonstrate
that, for an industry at
the cutting edge of immersive
technologies, there is no substitute
to the touch-see-hear
experiences that are at the
heart of the AV industry and
shows such as ISE, " he said.
" We are working very hard
towards the goal of ISE 2021
in Barcelona in June next year
and it is reassuring to confirm
that strong demand is there
of trade shows provides a
rhythm and cadence to our
ever-changing and advancing
industry, " said AVIXA CEO
David Labuskes in the ISE
announcement. " As individuals
move in and out of roles
within the industry, these
shows have always provided
a touchpoint that allows us to
reconnect with the people we
do business with.
" I am certain that all of our
past and future attendees are
anxious to meet again in person
soon, and the research reinforces
that emotion, " he said.
" The incalculable value
of ISE to the exhibitors as a
platform for engagement and
thought leadership and to
the attendees as a community
from which to learn and grow
compels us to do everything in
our power to ensure that there
will be a safe return of ISE in
2021 and an exciting debut in
Barcelona, " said Labuskes.
" In our industry, the experience
is everything, " said
CEDIA co-CEO Giles Sutton
in the ISE announcement.
" Home technology products
need to be touched, seen and
heard if integrators are to recommend
and specify them on
projects for their customers.
" More than that, our industry
is a community that benefits
from meeting, talking and build
relationships with others as well
as the opportunity to learn from
experts at in-person training.
These are all massively important
factors for professional integrators
who want to grow their
knowledge and continue to do
good business. That's why we
support the safe return of the
ISE event in June 2021. "
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Commercial Integrator February 2021

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