AVIXA senior director, communications,`Joé Lloyd, has told Installation that last month’s digital InfoComm Connected trade show was “a statement of perseverance” in light of the widespread disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Originally set to take place in Las Vegas, the annual trade event was, like most shows this year, forced to close its doors for 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak. Instead of cancelling the show altogether, organiser AVIXA decided to relaunch the event under the name InfoComm Connected, providing a digital platform from which exhibitors could showcase their latest products, connect with the market and present webinars and educational sessions. Visitors could also arrange one-to-one sessions with exhibitors and endanger in a variety of networking opportunities.
According to Lloyd, InfoComm Connected not only demonstrated the industry’s ability to adapt but also its determination to overcome adversity.
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“The key to the success the event was the hard work of both our staff and partners,” she told Installation. “We spent time to survey and work with our key stakeholders of exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to bring together an event that led with content and was bolstered by incredible exhibitor booths, which allowed a true marketplace of product discovery. Networking and interactive chats and Q&A led to a well-rounded event and opportunity to bring together the AV community during an integral period of time.”
She continued: “InfoComm Connected is statement of the perseverance of our industry as whole. Thought-leading, transparent conversations of what comes next, education as well as the joy of coming together as a community is what makes AV. The ability to bring together the physical and digital in new and exciting ways is what drives experience and we are excited for what future events hold.”
Held from June 16-18, InfoComm Connected reported total registrations of 23,408, with 41 per cent of attendees from outside of the US. The featured 495 exhibitors and views of the exhibitor showcases totaled 53,433.
The show’s sessions were highly viewed – totaling 59,662. There were 74 live sessions and on-demand presentations from 67 companies. Live sessions were presented for 11 hours each day from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. EDT to reach attendees globally. Popular topics included conferencing and collaboration; fusing space, technology, and content; trends that have emerged through the COVID crisis; higher education; and the state of the industry.
Furthermore, attendees embraced virtual networking during InfoComm 2020 Connected, with 1,117 exhibitor meetings scheduled. 14,277 chat messages were exchanged.
The InfoComm 2020 Connected virtual platform will remain live through to August 21 for attendees to browse exhibitor showcases and view on-demand sessions. Visit infocommshow.org/connected.
InfoComm 2021 will take place June 12-18 (exhibits June 16-18) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
CORRECTION: The quotations in this article were previously attributed to AVIXA communications manager Krystle Murphy. These have now been corrected to AVIXA senior director, communications,`Joé Lloyd
