Logitech
What new solutions will be the focus of your presence at ISE?
Logitech’s biggest news since ISE 2018 was the announcement of Logitech Rally, a modular videoconferencing solution for mid-sized and large meeting rooms. This year’s show will be the first time that the full system is on display at a major European industry event, and we’ll be excited to show attendees its impressive functionality; such as its studio-quality video, exceptional audio clarity and automated experience that helps to get the most out of a meeting space.
How do you think the last two editions of the show at the RAI will compare to the show after it moves to Barcelona?
Amsterdam has became synonymous with ISE for Logitech, so we are sure there will be a hint of nostalgia during the last two shows as we reminisce on all the good memories and friendships we’ve made at the RAI over the years.
That being said, ISE has become the go-to industry event for everything UC, AV, digital signage and more, so the fact the show has outgrown the RAI and has needed to move to a bigger space is a great credit to its continued success and importance. While we can’t know for sure what ISE 2019 will hold, we are sure that both ISE itself and the vendors that attend will continue to go from strength to strength, showcasing the new technologies which are democratising videoconferencing, as well as the new wave of PC-based videoconferencing systems.
What key trends in video collaboration do you expect to see a lot of at this year’s show?
ISE is always a place for forward thinking technologies pushing the boundaries of video collaboration. This year, we expect to see artificial intelligence and machine learning being further integrated into video collaboration, vastly improving the end user experience. We also expect to see increased presence from cloud platform vendors at the show, such as Microsoft in Hall 11, who will be pushing enhanced integration of hardware and software with a focus on simplifying the user experience.
Solutions that offer flexibility around different room sizes are also likely to be a big feature at this year’s show, alongside those that continue to take the complexity out of videoconferencing for end users, making video calls as simple and seamless to join as possible.
Is there anything outside Logitech’s immediate technology area that you are particularly excited to see?
A recent area of interest for us has been digital signage and interactive screens – video enabled interactive screens have the potential to be very effective collaboration tools. As such, we’ve been interested by the development in this space, and we’ll be watching closely to see what improvements vendors make to their offerings to help drive adoption.
Holovis
What will be the focus of your attendance at ISE this year?
This year we’ll be attending ISE to primarily meet with our key manufacturers, suppliers and partners. ISE brings about a unique chance to meet all the global teams in one place as the whole industry converges on Amsterdam. This presents the rare chance to meet everyone together, rather than segregated in their separate territories, which leads to more connected conversations and quicker decision making. We’ll also have a team of engineers at the event scouting out new technologies and innovations and bringing back the information to share with our team. We will also be attending relevant conferences and key speaker sessions relating to the industries that we operate in, such as AttractionsTECH from Blooloop, Digital Cinema Summit for our new business Extended Cinema and the Digital Signage Summit.
What innovations are you most looking forward to seeing at the show?
Our installations tend to focus on complex projection in a variety of environments from planetariums and dome theatres to immersive tunnels, flying theatres and dark rides, as well as CAVES and Powerwalls for enterprise visualisation work. Therefore we’re always looking for the latest projection technology and are specifically interested in the development of multiview systems and auto realignment software. We have a dedicated team of audio engineers who will have their ears to the ground to find the latest design, control and management solutions. In addition, there is always something new to be found in the LED halls and within the unified communications zone.
How strong do you feel the show’s relationship is to the technologies Holovis operates in? Do you think this will change when the show moves to Barcelona?
We have been very privileged to work alongside ISE for the last two years to curate their first two XR Technology Zones and saw a growing interest in these technologies and solutions from the ISE audience. I think this will definitely continue to grow as the XR and AV industries are seeing more and more overlap and traditional AV integrators are following in our footsteps of learning how to apply these next generation solutions to their projects. I think increased floorspace in Barcelona will definitely help this area of the show to grow as it finds a proper home on the show floor.
Do you think ISE can continue to grow at the same rate over the next couple of editions?
ISE has certainly proved to stand the test of time and, while these next few years may prove challenging, the industry has dealt with a lot since the show launched in 2004 and I am confident that it will continue to grow unphased. The team are doing a great job at keeping on top of the trends and welcoming in new forms of AV, such as virtual, augmented and mixed reality and showing end users and integrators alike how they can be utilised. The conference programmes are also phenomenal with world class speakers drawing in the crowds and giving access to insight that can’t be found anywhere else.
AVMI
How do you quantify whether an ISE show has been successful?
Coming away with a refreshed view on technology and trends marks a successful ISE. At AVMI we commit a lot of time throughout the year meeting with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure we are on top of emerging technologies. ISE gives us the opportunity to see the whole AV landscape in one place and reflect on our approach, ensuring we are providing our customers with informed advice and guidance. It’s always refreshing to bring back news of potential partners or technologies we were not previously aware of, and make plans to evaluate these in detail before adding to our portfolio.
What will be the focus of your attendance at ISE this year?
ISE is an opportunity to see the bigger picture, and therefore we endeavour to bring back news of developments across our industry. We are sending a team of attendees to ISE, each with targeted areas of interest to investigate and bring back the latest news or contacts and share with the wider team. We are then able to review and make onward plans to continue investigations into technologies or partners of interest in detail.
What trends do you expect to see emerge or be developed this year?
The continued growth of LED technology in the corporate market should see a step change in the products we see and the features that are included. We expect to see LED product becoming less bespoke, and more productised, with integrated enterprise features supporting management and maintenance.
The Internet of Things will play a big part in enabling our customers to use technology and better analyse the environmental or technology choices that are made.
As our customer base moves towards cloud-based applications, we expect many more collaboration and presentation technologies to follow suit. We expect traditionally hardware-based technologies to move towards software and ‘As a Service’ offerings.
How will the move to Barcelona change your approach to the show?
We won’t be packing hats and gloves!
The benefits we gain from seeing the technology at the show will remain unaffected by the move, but the team are certainly looking forward to the additional opportunities that will become available with the different climate.
The difference in travel time will be a consideration for us as it will affect our costs for attending the show with additional accommodation costs, and time out of the business.
We are certainly excited to see what Barcelona can offer in terms of a destination for ISE.
QSC
What new launches and innovations are you exhibiting at this year’s show?
At this year’s ISE show, QSC is excited to showcase native, low latency video streaming capabilities for the Q-SYS Ecosystem. The NV Series network video endpoints allows integrators to distribute HDMI video anywhere over a standard gigabit network. Attendees can see it in action in our QSC Conference Room Experience.
We will have the first public preview of Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager. This real-time demonstration will showcase how the enterprise can reduce AV support costs and increase AV uptime with remote monitoring and management capabilities. Our stand will also be equipped with a QSC Coffee house to showcase our new Premium Business Music solutions in a real-life setting.
How do you think this year’s ISE will compare to previous years?
Over the last year QSC has gone direct in Germany and the UK and have worked hard to create more awareness for our brand in those regions, and build new relationships to help drive demand for QSC solutions. In previous years, QSC was simply known as an amplifier company, but we have quickly become recognised as a full systems solution manufacturer for all audio, video and control needs.
Aside your stand, what are you most looking forward to at the show?
As usual, ISE is an ideal opportunity for us to connect with a majority of our customers and clients under one roof. QSC has worked hard these past 18 months to expand its presence in Europe with a new headquarters in Germany, a showroom in London and a training centre in Weybridge. We really look forward to harnessing the excitement at ISE to really illustrate our true commitment to the EMEA region, and see our expanded team be able to engage with even more industry innovators than ever before.
What do you think have been the keys to the continued success and growth of the show?
This industry continues to evolve and the last few years not only have we gained a new set of integrators and designers, we are also welcoming the end user community who are now tasked with managing AV&C assets across their enterprise. ISE is the best opportunity for those newcomers to experience what AV&C technology is available and learn from industry veterans. This is truly one of the exciting pieces of the show for QSC, especially as our Q-SYS Ecosystem specifically caters to the needs of IT.
Shure
What new launches and innovations are you exhibiting at this year’s show?
Shure will be showcasing the Microflex Complete Wireless (MXCW) Conferencing System; we’re thrilled that this system is now available. A premier solution in our conferencing portfolio, MXCW offers wireless freedom and flexibility for conferences, meetings, and events within government, corporate, hotel, educational facilities, and more. Ideal for environments that require quick, intuitive set-up and breakdown, the all-in-one conferencing solution is dedicated to providing exceptional audio quality, network security, and ease of use.
Additionally, we’re looking forward to discussing Designer 3.1 and SystemOn Audio Asset Management Software.
What are some of the technology trends you expect to see at the show?
The year, we’ll continue to witness the growth and emergence of enterprise IT – and we expect it to evolve at a rapid pace. We’ll see more and more solutions that cater to these sort of environments as well as opportunities for AV in the workplace.
Today, enterprise IT aims to cover all aspects of a company’s networked system. Therefore, smarter solutions that control each phase of a product’s lifecycle will be essential – we’ll see a lot of this at ISE. Standalone products are no longer developed to serve just one purpose. Instead, it’s all about introducing a holistic solution that serves a variety of purposes, with the goal of providing end users with seamless control and flexibility.
How successful was last year’s show for you and what do you hope to achieve this year?
2018 was wildly successful, with our booth busy all the time during the show. Shure firmly established itself as a destination brand in integrated systems and at ISE. We’re expecting 2019 to be even bigger and better, with a fresh new approach to the event and even more exciting new products to show.
Sony
How do you measure success for the company at a show the size of ISE?
The scale of ISE is unmatched in Europe, but that alone doesn’t make attendance an instant success. At ISE we focus on meeting with new and existing customers to discuss the challenges they face, to share insights on the state of the corporate and education sectors and to update them on our latest innovations. Our philosophy at Sony is that we work very closely with partners, customers and members of the industry to develop solutions that solve real-life challenges. ISE is one of the many opportunities during the year where we have these conversations with a wide range of people.
Alongside this, ISE also provides an invaluable function to strengthen our reputation in the market. We focus on meeting with several publications to demonstrate new features or products, share case studies of interesting projects customers have worked on over the past year and offer interviews with our senior executives. In recent years, social activity has grown in importance too and we closely monitor and contribute to the conversations taking place online beyond the show floor.
How big of a leap forward is Crystal LED?
Crystal LED is significantly ahead of other display solutions for several reasons. On the technical front, our engineers created a canvas that is over 99% black by developing ultrafine and ultra-powerful LEDs that are just half the width of a human hair. By doing this, the contrast on Crystal LED is more than 1,000,000:1 – well beyond that of a traditional LED. Further, precise colour reproduction, high refresh-rates and outstanding picture quality make for breathtaking visuals.
However, one of the most exciting aspects of Crystal LED beyond the image is its scalability. With a modular, bezel-less design, multiple panels can be tiled together to seamlessly create a huge variety of super-size displays. This makes Crystal LED the perfect choice for large-scale screens such as those in theme parks, museums, architectural or automotive designs and corporate lobbies.
We’re very excited to be showcasing the largest Sony Crystal LED system to have been shown in Europe at ISE this year, with a spectacular 8K x 4K display.
What other solutions will be the focus of Sony’s presence at the show?
The innovative new stand design we’ll be showing at stand 1-N20 has been purpose built to showcase a wide range of new and existing solutions.
We’ve been working closely with higher education institutions over the past year and we’re thrilled to be exhibiting new technologies at ISE that will help further transform and enhance Active Learning experiences. We’ll also have new customer case studies highlighting the success organisations have had creating collaborative learning environments using solutions such as Sony’s Vision Exchange and Ubicast.
The future of smart workplaces will be another key focus – visitors will see first-hand the cutting-edge updates to our TEOS family of workspace solutions including new control workflows (such as with a new universal sensor) and a new employee mobile application for room booking, meeting room control, and screen mirroring.
And, as always, we have a few surprises in tow that we can’t really talk about just yet…
