Yes, But Only in German... Thoughts on Attending Trade Shows

I learned to attend trade shows in the era when it was crucial to bring back a large bag weighing 80 pounds filled with catalogs, price lists, and product manuals. In fact, I quickly learned to look at the global trade show calendar and sometimes attended regional trade shows just to find new products ahead of the major international events and establish an early relationship with a new company. Those local shows were mainly targeted at meeting final clients and end users for the region, but they were an effective way to meet key people with more time available, and learn how they defined their sales pitch in their own - sometimes more mature - markets.

A decisive 2019 edition of Prolight+Sound and Musikmesse is fast approaching, signaling the return to a consolidated model and the adoption of a new layout, which includes new facilities in the Messe Frankfurt complex. For the first time since 2015, the two trade fairs are being held concurrently on all four days and, for visitors from the professional audio sector in particular, will offer a variety of new highlights and product innovations from the industry’s key players.

In its 17th year, embedded world, Nuremberg, Germany, once again impressed the global embedded electronics community. The results for visitor and exhibitor numbers and display area confirmed around 31,000 trade visitors, the second best visitor total since the trade fair began, and 1,117 companies from all over the world flocked to the 8% larger display area at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg.

The 16th Integrated Systems Europe, which ran at the RAI Amsterdam from 5-8 February, was the biggest, broadest-reaching and most exciting edition of the show ever – confirming it as the international destination of choice for AV professionals. As well as hosting 15 halls containing the latest technologies and solutions for pro AV and systems integration, the show provided its widest-ranging professional development program to date, extending its coverage of major vertical market sectors.

Launched in 2004, ISE is the world’s largest tradeshow for the professional AV and electronic systems industry. ISE 2019 will take place from 5-8 February 2019 and is expected to draw over 1,300 exhibitors and more than 80,000 registered attendees to its Amsterdam RAI location. The Integrated Systems Europe event is a joint venture of AVIXA and CEDIA. Visitor registration is now opened for the biggest-ever ISE show, with increased floor space, an additional venue and an expanded conference program.

Musikmesse and Prolight+Sound 2019: Stronger together! This is the slogan used by Frankfurt Messe to promote the 2019 edition of those two prestigious shows, which could risk being the last ones if the new adopted model doesn't work. After many years of forced separation, the Frankfurt show complex will finally open the brand new Halls 12 (two levels), enabling Prolight+Sound to grow into a modern space, while Musikmesse returns to the much appreciated Halls 3. More important, both shows will take place again concurrently!

This year’s IFA is booked up and boasts two fully occupied exhibition areas: the entire Berlin Exhibition Grounds as well as IFA Global Markets (for trade visitors only) at Station Berlin on Gleisdreieck are already full for 2018. Europe's giant trade show for Consumer and Home Electronics IFA 2018 again underlines the event’s unique global standing as a driving force for growth and innovation. This year's Home Appliances@IFA celebrates its tenth anniversary, IFA NEXT grows with even more innovations, and there's plenty of new exhibits and events.

Integrated Systems Events, the producers of the Integrated Systems Europe exhibition, has announced that its 2021 edition will be held at Gran Via, part of the Fira de Barcelona exhibition complex in Spain on February 2-5. Taking place in Amsterdam until then, the new location will give the exhibition a chance to grow. The new venue will become the permanent location for the world’s largest AV and systems integration show.

IFA is the world's leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. It will take place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds (ExpoCenter City) from 31 August to 5 September 2018. Alongside the event, IFA Global Markets will take place from 2 to 5 September at Station Berlin, bringing together buyers and OEMs / ODMs at Europe’s largest sourcing show for the electronics sector. IFA NEXT, the innovation platform, will feature a much greater display area, theme days, and an even higher international attendance.

After four successful exhibition days, the 37th High End in Munich ended on May 13. A total of 530 exhibitors (-2% compared to 538 in previous year) from 41 nations and 19,899 visitors (-7% compared to 21,412 in 20017) were counted, including 7,557 trade visitors (-6%) from throughout the world. This represented a slight decline in numbers compared to the previous year, as noted in audioXpress’ first impressions report of the High End show in Munich.