ISE2020
ISE2020
Trends found at ISE 2020
combination of virus and storms united
against the show, ISE 2020 still managed
to deliver a vibrant exhibition and
programme of content that included
conferences, keynotes and training.
As Mike Blackman, Managing
Director of Integrated Systems
Events, commented: “This year’s show
demonstrated to us just how determined
our attendees were to come to ISE.
Many of our exhibitors exceeded their
targets for customer engagement and
lead generation.
The show has delivered on all fronts:
as the global industry’s biggest annual
forum, as a launchpad for new solutions,
as a place to do business, and as a
source of professional development
and education.”
While attendance was
understandably down against the
previous year, crowds still flocked to
the event.
Daily attendance figures, which
include exhibitors and attendees, made
a cumulative total of 116,599 visits.
20 KIOSK solutions
Going forward
During ISE 2020, over 950 exhibitors
booked their stands for ISE 2021, with
61,968 square metres of stand space
sold by the close of the show.
This equates to 82% of the available
ISE 2021 show floor, and approximately
115% of 2020’s exhibition floor space.
Reflecting the increasing number
of vertical markets that ISE serves,
additional Technology Zones for next
year include Live Events and Lighting,
Broadcast, and VR/AR/XR.
ISE 2021 will take place at the Gran
Via – Fira de Barcelona in February 2021.
Global Health Emergency
The World Health Organisation made it
official: Coronavirus is the first “global
health emergency” of our new era of
major power competition. It will affect
global markets, but will also have an
effect on geopolitics.
It’s already clear that the coronavirus’
impact, though too early to fully
measure, will be significant on
Chinese and global supply chains,
markets and economies.
But it’s not too early to
contemplate the potential, unintended
consequences of the virus, thought
to have originated in a Wuhan wildlife
wet market.
So far, the effects of the virus
outbreak on tech companies have
largely been due to China being
brought to a standstill by mandatory
‘self-quarantines’. However, as we saw
with reduced numbers at ISE 2020,
global exhibitions and conferences
held elsewhere are now being hit. The
Mobile World Congress in Barcelona has
now been cancelled because the global
concern regarding the coronavirus
outbreak makes it impossible for
the GSMA to hold the event due to a
succession of major brands pulling out
as a result of the virus.
Also hit by postponements are Beijing
InfoComm China 2020, GETShow and
Prolight + Sound Guangzhou, plus LED
China and its associated shows, MIPTV,
Prolight + Sound and MIR TECH, as the
number of people infected by the novel
coronavirus increases.
The list of postponements and
cancellations of trade fairs and
exhibitions is growing longer by the
day. The data provided by the WHO
in a Situation Report published March
8, shows that, worldwide, there are
currently 105,586 confirmed cases
of COVID-19 - 3,656 of which were
diagnosed in the 24 hours preceding
the report. Of those cases, 80,859 are
in China, where 3,100 people have died
from the illness. COVID-19 has also
been confirmed in 101 other countries,
territories and areas affecting 24,727
people—484 of whom have died.
The impact of the coronavirus is all
the greater as it coincides with what was
already a slowing Chinese economy.
It comes at a time when American
and other countries’ companies were
already shifting supply lines from China
to elsewhere due to new tariffs and
trade tensions. The virus may serve as a
reminder for companies to more rapidly
diversify their supply chains. n
Growing importance of AI
A recurring theme throughout the
event is the growing importance of AI
and machine learning. In smart homes,
for example, there is growing evidence
of manufacturers embracing the likes
of Alexa and Google Assistant. It's
becoming increasingly important as
growing numbers of home devices and
appliances become IoT-enabled.
On the commercial side, AI –
especially in conjunction with sensors
such as embedded cameras – is
rapidly finding a place in digital signage
(a market forecast by AVIXA to be
worth $45 billion by 2024 – roughly
35% larger than 2019). Retailers are
looking to create more personalised
and more relevant consumer
experiences, and researchers are
expecting the pro AV industry to see
greater adoption of AI in the customer
experience market, such as hospitality
and healthcare. Hospitality companies are expected to spend vast sums on AV
in the coming years in order to meet and exceed the expectations of a public
deeply rooted in technology.
LED proliferation
AI is very much a ‘behind the scenes’ technology. The rapid rise in popularity
of LED as the screen technology of choice, not only brings unique advantages
in the creative deployment of displays such as videowalls, but also, as its price
declines, is starting to displace single LCD screens.
A recurring question, however, is how long LED will enjoy its current place
in the sun. OLED technology has numerous theoretical advantages in terms
of image quality, ease of installation and the opportunity for highly creative
deployments, but it’s not without its challenges – notably in the area of price.
AVoIP
It’s not all about images on screens, however. So called ‘object-based audio’
has taken the sound world by storm with its ability to deliver wholly immersive
sound stages. Advances in the ‘placing’ of sound are being matched by
increasingly sophisticated DSPs that can ‘tune’ an installation to create the
optimum match with the acoustics of the room. Together, they’re creating some
interesting aural experiences, not least around the digital signage industry.
Staying ahead of the game
The trick, as always, is to stay abreast of – and, even better, ahead of – the latest
developments. A competitive advantage can be quickly lost as others leverage
the capabilities of newer platforms.
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