ISE Live & Online closed its doors at the Fira de Barcelona after a two-day physical exhibition from June 1-2, with face-to-face networking, more than 50 exhibitor booths, in-person keynotes and roundtables. For many AV professionals, it served as a beacon of confidence for the safe return of live events in the city.
“This event is important for the AV and live events industries, and for the city,” Integrated Systems Events Managing Director, Mike Blackman, said during the show’s opening. “It’s been a 17-year journey to get to Barcelona, so it’s bittersweet not to make the big bang we’d hoped for our debut, but we know the value of live events for forging trust, deeper business relationships and driving business. I hope this sends a message of confidence to cities around the world that live events can be safe and successful. We’ll be back in Barcelona, with all our might, in February 2022.”
The first hybrid event from ISE, which combined live and digital content, achieved 1,431 in-person attendees on its first day, and 990 on its second day in Barcelona. More than 8,000 people registered for ISE Digital, which had 120 live sessions and generated 13,759 unique views, 107,718 minutes watched (1,778 hours) and 442 online chats. All visitors within the venue had a negative COVID-19 anti-allergen test result prior to entry and wore FFP2 NR face masks inside. The feedback indicates that ISE Live & Online in Barcelona has been positively received by the AV industry, with optimistic comments from exhibitors.
“Barco attended ISE 2021 in Barcelona to connect with our customers. We have been in virtual, in video sessions for too long and we needed to meet face-to-face,” Peter Pauwels, VP Sales EMEA at Barco, said. “The future is hybrid which means there will be some video, there will be some conference calling but there’s going to be a lot more face-to-face. Meeting back with our partners is what gives us energy.”
“After more than a year without events and exhibitions, we were excited and delighted to meet people face-to-face again,” Oriol Massague, Field Marketing Manager at Panasonic, added. “From lenders, buyers, system integrators, distributors and sellers…everybody!”
Content from ISE Digital, which includes sessions from the Main Stage at the Fira de Barcelona, is now available to view on demand at https://digital.iseurope.org.
There is one more in-person event planned before ISE Live & Online signs out for 2021. AV professionals will have the opportunity to network and reconnect at ISE in London, taking place June 23-24.
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