Barcelona Press Conference

Over 50 leading AV editors, journalists, and media professionals gathered in Barcelona City Hall on 19 July to attend the official press conference for the announcement that Integrated Systems Europe will relocate to the historic city in 2021.

ISE Press Conference Barcelona

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Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Events managing Director, was joined at the auspicious occasion by: Ada Calou, Mayor of Barcelona; Hon Mrs Angels Chacon, Minister of Business And Knowledge, Catalan Government; Constanti Serrallonga ,General Director, Fira de Barcelona; David Labuskes, CEO, AVIXA and Tabatha O’Connor, CEO, CEDIA.

Calour welcomed the attendees and the exhibition to the city and said that it was an “honour” that the city had been chosen to host the world’s largest AV technology exhibition.

Chacon explained how the regional government would work closely with ISE to support the move to the Fira de Barcelona venue complex. This will ensure, she said, that ISE continues to, “serve the industry it represents by being able to provide an event that meets all their requirements”.

ISE 2021: a new beginning

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Blackman explained that the decision to move from ISE’s traditional RAI Amsterdam base had been as a result of increased demand for more exhibitor floor space and the annual increase in attendees. “We have outgrown our home,” he said. In spite of the RAI’s best efforts, he revealed, a 18-month period of research had shown that a move was the only viable option in securing the event’s long-term future.

He explained that the eventual choice of Barcelona as the new, permanent home for ISE, had been a “unanimous” choice.

Labuskes and O’Connor, from ISE co-owning trade associations AVIXA and CEDIA, reiterated how the move would enable them to better serve their members and the wider commercial and residential AV communities that they represent.

Serralanga offered that the Gran Via complex at the Fira de Barcelona was a state-of-the-art venue with ample space to accommodate all potential ISE exhibitors and the increased demand for space from existing ones.

Blackman concluded the press conference by saying that ISE and its family, “is moving to a bigger house with a bigger yard!”