Reflections on ISE 2022

The build up to ISE 2022 focused on questions like would the move to Barcelona work? Would people actually make the effort to visit? And how many exhibitors would still be there? In the end, the truth of it was that none of these things actually mattered.

ISE is billed as the biggest AV show in the world, but for once this was a trade show where the technology wasn’t really that important. Instead, ISE 2022 was all about reconnecting. Booths were filled with people having conversations, with everyone seemingly happy to see that friends, competitors and partners alike had made it through to the other side of a very dark period.

Often, once you had got beyond the catch up, those conversations would stretch into opinions on the new setup of the show. Based on the people I spoke to, those in the multi-technology Hall 3 seemed to be happier than those in the audio-centric Hall 7. This could have been because Hall 3, with its mix of brands and technologies, attracted a wider range of people and felt more like the ISE shows of old. Hall 3 also had one of the main entrances which ensured a regular flow of visitors. On the other hand, Hall 7 felt like more of an effort to get to. People would only really go there if they wanted to speak to audio companies. While this is what the change in floorplan to a more categorised approach was supposed to achieve, it has meant that there seemed to be fewer people stumbling upon new solutions or brands that they hadn’t planned to take a look at.

The common phrase that seemed to start every conversation was “I haven’t seen you in years”. For many, myself included, this was the first international gathering since the final Amsterdam outing of ISE back in February 2020. For an industry that seems to revolve around international travel, this has been a very difficult time, and in truth, it seems like everyone has lost some of the old habits that come with regular international trips. I think just about everyone forgot something that would normally be second nature to bring – in my case it was sunscreen, but I heard countless tales of everything from phone chargers to laptops that had all been left at home. The best description I heard of this situation was that none of us were match fit yet – not just physically for all the people like me who are now nursing sore backs and knees, but mentally too. Everybody will fall back into those old habits, but we all need time for that muscle memory to come back.

The simple fact that it was taking place has made ISE 2022 a successful show. It has reminded a lot of people in the AV industry that we are a much bigger community than you can fit on a Zoom call. It has given everybody the chance to catch up and see what has changed. It has brought this disparate industry back together for four glorious days in the sunshine and served as a timely reminder that what we all do is much more than just a job.