Attending the world’s biggest pro AV show
Despite the threat of the coronavirus and Storm Ciara, ISE 2020 took place at RAI Amsterdam on 11-14 February. Integrated Systems Europe is the world’s largest exhibition for AV and systems integration.
Over 1,300 leading technology and solutions providers came to celebrate all things AV. This edition of the show contained a full professional development programme supported by the association co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA and presented the biggest conference programme ever.
We have had a couple of weeks to digest everything we saw at ISE 2020 ready to pull together this year’s key takeaways.
Key themes at this year’s show
The main stand out for us was that security is becoming a more prominent factor. Companies are using controls to provide ever-increasing flexibility to the end-user. Traditional sensors are being used for new applications, not just motion detection but to monitor various parts of the home, e.g. plumbing.
The growth of the LED market was once again prevalent and demonstrated by the sheer number of brands showcasing displays.
Smart buildings are changing focus. We have all understood and digested the energy savings and reductions in operational costs that are possible but now instead of just energy savings – human productivity is becoming the target for smart building management systems. These new programs draw on machine learning and artificial intelligence to predict requirements ahead of time and actively manage the living environment.
Voice control has also taken off massively and seems to be one of the biggest trends going forward.
The key takeaway for an integrator
As an integrator, it was interesting to see how technology is being simplified (e.g. Crestron home). It was evident manufacturers are trying to introduce easier deployment for integrators, which should make each project quicker to install and program
Tips for next year’s show
Don’t book your flights for next year just yet, sadly it was the last time ISE will be held in the RAI Amsterdam convention centre, the growing show is set to move to a larger space in Barcelona for 2021.
Give yourself plenty of time (there is so much to see) and take comfortable shoes!