Also acting as key draws to the event were an enlarged Professional Development programme including off-floor training sessions hosted by ISE's co-owners CEDIA and InfoComm International, with both associations also contributing seminars to the event's new on-floor Theatres dedicated to Residential and Commercial Solutions. Between them these sessions attracted over 2,400 people, with InfoComm experiencing an almost three-fold increase in its education traffic over 2013 after offering free session vouchers to every 2014 attendee.
ISE 2014's pre-show events programme included the third edition of the Smart Building Conference, the all-new Investor Showcase and Audio Forum, and an Opening Keynote Address, 'Kick-Starting the Market for Building Automation', by Cisco's Dr Dirk Schlesinger. Between them these events attracted a further 1,000 attendees, with hundreds more also signing up for partner events during the show such as the SVGE's Sport Facility Integration Summit, digital-signage market briefings and tours from Invidis Consulting and the Themed Entertainment Association tour.
Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events, says, "Our big theme this year was content, and we believe we have delivered on our promise to enhance our event - and attract more attendees - by offering a combination of technical training, market intelligence, real-world case studies and networking opportunities that is unmatched by any comparable event in Europe."
While the show's attendance continues to rise impressively, there has been no dilution in the spending power of ISE's visitors if the show's exhibitor rebooking trend is anything to go by. By the time the doors closed on Thursday 6 February, on-site rebooking for ISE 2015 stood at 33,450 net square metres, compared with the 2014 show's total net footprint of 36,035. The rebooking figure is 10% higher than the equivalent a year ago.
The next Integrated Systems Europe will take place at the Amsterdam RAI from 10-12 February 2015.
(Jim Evans)
