The exhibition delighted roughly 18,000 visitors and proved to be a first-rate crowd puller yet again.” Branko Glisovic, managing director of High End Society commented aptly, “The HIGH END is a place where people can share their passion for high-quality music reproduction, get to know each other and exchange experiences - and that has been going on now for over 30 years.” The exhibition was impressive once again with a stylish atmosphere and top-notch products.
This year the exhibitors also set off a real “innovation firework” and thus demonstrated their enormous innovative power and the many enduring facets of the industry. Both analogue fans and friends of the latest digital technology were given plenty of inspiration at the HIGH END 2014. The audio sector presented the entire range of products in all its variety in Munich-Germany. In addition to the classic analogue faction, multimedia networking was a particular focus. The exhibition attractions were wireless sound systems, control via apps, multimedia centres, audiophile hi-fi solutions for the car, music download portals, streaming systems, docking stations for mobile devices, etc. Stylish headphones in all sizes, classes and types were also almost completely represented.
Since its premiere in 1982, the exhibition has gained in international significance from year to year. No other exhibition in this sector offers such a high degree of internationality. 60% of the 452 exhibitors are based abroad, representing 40 different nations. The proportion of foreign visitors was as high as ever with 66%. The continuously increasing internationalisation is the real driving force for growth behind HIGH END, since the German sector is already almost fully represented. Meeting place for dealers and distributors from all over the world. 5,387 trade visitors from 58 countries made the pilgrimage to Munich It not only inspired the public, but dealers from Germany and abroad showed a particular interest.
Delegations from all over the world travelled to Munich to get an overview of the industry. In the four days, 5,387 trade visitors were recorded from all over the world. Their share in the total number of visitors (b2b) was 30%. The main body of international trade visitors came from Europe, with the following countries being particularly well represented: England, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and France. But the Asian region and North America were also strongly represented. The presence of the media was record-breaking. 482 print and online media from home and abroad, as well as many radio and television stations broadcast the topic of high-quality music reproduction all around the world. In addition to the major trade magazines in the industry, numerous journalists for current affairs, business, radio and television from 32 countries reported on the latest trends and products in the audio industry.
The success of the exhibition is based on the fact that HIGH END has its focus on high-quality sound, which has never changed, but it has also developed a clear and modern profile. “After all, standing still is just the same as taking a step backwards.”
The HIGH END focuses on any areas to do with good sound and therefore speaks to all the different needs and interests of the visitors. Whether it is tube or transistor, analogue or digital, speakers or headphones, streaming solutions with downloads or vinyl and CD, it was all there to be experienced in Munich. “The aim and concept of the exhibition has not changed because, for us, it was always about the best possible quality of music reproduction. The exhibition has helped to bring our industry out of the shadows of the hobbyists and gave it a clean, modern profile - not only nationally, but internationally too. It creates a balancing act, but does this without drifting into something arbitrary and diluting the main topic. At the HIGH END we don’t exhibit product groups that are beyond the scope of the exhibition - we only present technology to do with good sound” states Branko Glisovic, managing director of HIGH END SOCIETY.
The course has already been set for the next HIGH END and the dates have now been fixed: 14th to 17th May 2015 at the MOC in Munich.
www.HighEndSociety.de
