ISE 2014 hailed as Europe's largest ever Pro AV show

Integrated Systems Europe 2014, the largest exhibition for professional AV and systems integration ever held in Europe, has opened its doors, with a slew of CI brands unveiling new products and product solutions. The show is 6 per cent bigger than 2013, and boasts 952 exhibitors. The show will occupy more than 36,000 net square metres for the first time. ISE managing director Mike Blackman is also promising a boost in attendance figures. "We're not releasing figures yet, but it's definitely got a lot larger," he says.

Blackman says there's clear signs of growing interest in Smart Building technologies at this year's event, citing a record attendance for its third Smart Building conference. During his keynote address, Jim Sinopoli of Smart Buildings, said that with buildings accounting for 41 per cent of primary energy consumption, there's a great deal to be done in making the industry more energy efficient. Sinopoli went on to suggest that the industry could do worse than look back at the world's first truly Smart buildings, the Pyramids, which were able to maintain a constant temperature of 68°F.

This year will also see the first Investor Showcase event at ISE, in which 15 up and coming  companies will pitch for investment. "It's not really about what it brings to this ISE, it's what it will bring in four or five years' time, " says Blackman. "What we are trying to do here is build the forward stream for our business. We're investing in our future, indeed, we're investing in our industry."