As submissions for the new Best in Market ’21 awards, and Best of Show 2021 at ISE, flood in (submissions for both awards can be placed here), the Installation team decided to look back on last year’s Best of Show ’20 winners – and what a cracking selection it is!
Designed to recognise achievement in product innovation and service development at ISE 2020, the awards took into account factors such as general quality and relevance of the product; design and build quality; business/operational benefits; innovation in concept/design/delivery; technical excellence; cost-effectiveness; game-changing ability. All nominations were reviewed by a panel of independent industry experts at the show. Each nominee also received a stand visit from a judge who got hands-on with the products before returning their verdict.
Winners included Crestron, which bagged a hatful of awards – DM NVX Director Virtual Switching Appliance; Flex Wall Mount UC Video Conference System for Zoom Rooms Software; Mercury X Video Conference System; DM NVX 4K60 4:4:4 HDR Network AV OPS Decoder; DM Lite – alongside d&b audiotechnik for its KSLi System, Bose Work Solutions for the Videobar VB1 All-in-One USB Conferencing Device, Clevertouch for IMPACT Plus, and WolfVision for vSolution MATRIX. See below for a full list of Best of Show ’20 winners.
“The Best of Show 2020 awards was without doubt one of the best yet, particularly when you consider what was about to hit us all!” says Installation editor Rob Lane. “Like everyone else at ISE 2020, I travelled to the show with a sense of trepidation with Covid-19 starting to ramp up across Europe. The huge hand sanitiser bins brought home the seriousness of what was to come, and although we all laughed when we bumped elbows, the laughter was tinged with gallows humour.
“I was privileged to be part of the roving Best of Show ’21 judging team – a role I enjoyed for several years before becoming Installation editor – and was again blown away by the quality of product submissions. It genuinely is incredibly difficult to judge, and only the best of the best of the best are lucky enough to bag a trophy.
“This year is different, of course, and whilst Mike Blackman and the ISE team have worked incredibly hard to ensure that ISE 2021 goes ahead – albeit not quite as we’d all hoped – we’ve added a new award into the mix to give our industry a much needed boost. Best in Market ’21 gives those companies who aren’t able to attend any of the four regional ISE events (and those that are!) a chance to put their new product launches forward for awards consideration.
“Both the Best in Market ‘21 and Best of Show at ISE 2021 awards are supported by six of our industry’s leading magazine brands: Installation, AV Technology, Mix, Residential Systems, Sound & Video Contractor and Tech & Learning. Each brand represents an Award Category (see below) in which companies can enter any product(s) that have been released or are being promoted in 2021.
“I very much look forward to be a part of this year’s judging panel for both of these important awards – this time as editor of Installation! Good luck to all those companies submitting entries.”
The six Best in Market ‘21 and Best of Show at ISE 2021 awards categories are:
▶ Installation (general technology category)
▶ AV Technology (specific use market vertical category)
▶ Mix (audio-specific category)
▶ Residential Systems (residential AV product category)
▶ Sound & Video Contractor (professional AV product category)
▶ Tech & Learning (education technology category)
The Best in Market ‘21 award showcases the most innovative technology from around the AV marketplace in the last 12 months. The programme is open to all manufacturers of professional AV products and solutions regardless of their exhibitor/non-exhibitor status at this summer’s major trade shows. Submissions for both awards can be placed here.
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ENTER THE NEW BEST IN MARKET ’21 AWARDS:
- All nominees receive editorial coverage in a special edition digital awards publication, distributed across Installation, AV Technology, Mix, Residential Systems, Sound & Video Contractor, and Tech & Learning in July
- Winning products will be promoted online and through the social channels of our industry leading brands
- Winning entries receive guaranteed coverage in summer editions of each participating magazine providing your brand/product with additional exposure
- Winners will receive a digital certificate and ‘winner’ logo to use in product promotion and event exhibitions
- All entrants for Best of Show and/or Best in Market will receive an official ‘nominee’ logo for their nominated brand(s) to use in marketing (sent by email)
Best of Show 2020 Winners: Installation