In ISE’s terminology, end-users work in the vertical market sectors for professional AV solutions – such as enterprise, education, live events, hospitality, retail and smart homes. They might have direct responsibility for operating, maintaining and eventually upgrading an AV solution – as part of an in-house AV, IT or facilities management team, for example. Alternatively, they might only become involved in specifying or selecting AV solutions when a specific project is being considered.
This is in contrast to the AV channel – the chain of technology suppliers that includes manufacturers, distributors, resellers, integrators and installers.
As the professional AV industry has matured, end-users have become more knowledgeable about the capabilities of AV solutions, and more of them are coming to ISE. In parallel with this, ISE’s exhibitors have sought to reach end-users directly, aware of their increasing influence in shaping AV projects.
In recognition of this ever-diversifying audience, ISE’s conference offering has rapidly increased in number and in scope in recent years – with no fewer than 13 conferences taking place at ISE 2020. New end-user groups catered for this year include users of control rooms (the Control Rooms Summit), and residential architects, interior designers and design & build practitioners (CEDIA Design & Build Conference). Conferences catering to verticals including digital cinema, sports venue technology and virtual/augmented/mixed reality were all launched here in 2018 or 2019.
In addition, ISE hosts a number of Special Interest Groups, in which end-users from key verticals are invited to attend a special programme of events at the show. The agenda for each group is tailored specifically to the needs of its members. Among the verticals represented at ISE 2020 are education, architecture, interior design, facilities management, event agencies, smart building and hospitality.
ACCIÓ, part of regional body Catalonia Trade & Investment, is organising one such group. Joan Romero, CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment, comments: “This is a great opportunity for us. We want to maximise the chances of contacting all the big players and the most innovative companies and get them to be a big asset of the exhibition in the future.”
