From The
Editor ’ s Desk
pages 16-17
EI Live ! returns to Sandown Park on May 10-11 2017
The Shows Must Go On
It ’ s hard to get away from the subject of trade shows right now ; ISE has just happened , EI Live ! takes place in May ( 10-11 Sandown Park , to be precise ) and CEDIA has just announced it is to sell its American based trade show to the US ’ s largest trade show operator , Emerald Expositions .
ISE first : well one thing is for sure , show visitor numbers were up , which is great news for the event ’ s owners ( InfoComm and CEDIA ) and exhibitors . However , it is getting difficult to get around the show now ; the second day in particular was absolutely rammed , making it very difficult to get from hall to hall . Also , it was interesting just how slow the last day was ; not easy , but maybe something for show organisers to work on , getting a more even flow across the four days .
Many of the major launches will be covered in our review and also online with sister websites Ce Pro Europe and Commercial Integrator Europe . For now it ’ s worth saying there was a decent amount of advancement on show , which is not always the case with tech trade shows .
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Now for CEDIA ’ s news , which raised a few eyebrows this month . For EI we have to say , we think it ’ s the smart move ; at this organisation we know how tricky trade shows can be to run , and trying to do so whilst also running a trade organisation can work , but there are also many examples across different sectors where it definitely does not . In giving the show this boost , CEDIA will free its time to concentrate on other things and the move reflects well on the leadership of Vin Bruno who has not been afraid to shake things up since taking the role of CEO . However , Emerald will have to be gentle . Whilst it can undoubtedly widen the scope of the show , it will have to be careful to not alienate the core exhibitor and visitor base . Bigger trade show companies can sometimes tread on a few toes when taking over shows in sectors that have particular needs and don ’ t want to be treated as just another spread sheet in an overall bigger picture .
Now for EI Live ! which is back this year with a tweaked format and being sponsored by ambitious and dynamic UK based maker , HDAnywhere . The usual show floor extravaganza will be joined by high-value learning experiences from the likes of Lutron , CEDIA , Ivoy Egg / KNX , with more being added . The show will also see the return of the Smart Building Awards . So put May 10-11 in the diary now .
Also check out a new project from us , which is a large national show at the NEC in Birmingham for the electrical contractor market , called the Electrical Design And Install Expo ( ED & I ). Backed by industry king-pin the Electrical Contractors Association ( ECA ), the show promises to be a showcase for the finest that industry has to offer . All the details are at www . edandiexpo . com .
EDITOR IN CHIEF : Daniel Sait , dan @ allthingsmedialtd . com CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS : Alice Gustafson , alice @ allthingsmedialtd . com , Jordan O ’ Brien , jordan @ allthingsmedialtd . com SALES DIRECTOR : Ian Kitchener , ian @ allthingsmedialtd . com INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGER : Claire Talty , claire @ allthingsmedialtd . com PUBLISHER : David Kitchener , david @ allthingsmedialtd . com ACCOUNTS : susan @ allthingsmedialtd . com CIRCULATION : carol @ allthingsmedialtd . com STUDIO MANAGER : Ben Bristow , @ allthingsmedialtd . com GRAPHIC DESIGN : Jon Appleton , jon @ allthingsmedialtd . com
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