Welcome back to my ISE 2023 Blog… Covering Wednesday & Thursday at the show…

Wednesday 1st?Feb?

Having survived Monday and Tuesday, I knew that Wednesday was always going to be THE longest day!. I get up early and head to the show for a meeting with?Tim Bigoness ,?Barrie McCorkle,?Jeff Oakes ? and?Konrad van Eck ?from?D-Tools . D-Tools are one of our more recent clients and I am really enjoying working with them. D-Tools were the Innovators of Software Quoting and Design Systems and this year is actually their 25th?Anniversary.?

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D-Tools are already the Global Leader in AV quoting software with over?7,000?users in 90 plus countries and launched a new cloud version for the US back in 2017. D-Tools Cloud has recently been made available to the UK, and the Re-Sauce team and I, will be working with D-Tools to help further develop their software platforms specifically for the EMEA – including providing multi-lingual, multi-currency versions and connecting D-Tools with all the major Distributors, Manufacturers and System Integrators across the UK and EMEA. As part of my role, I have introduced D-Tools into the Senior EMEA Leadership Teams at?AVI SPL , ?Diversified ,?Kinly ?and?proAV .

I also catch up with the lovely?Lucinda Faucheux ?at?LuFau Consulting, who, as well as being very knowledgeable, is also great fun to be around???! At lunchtime, I got the chance to walk the show and meet up with?Mark Pescatore ?again at?SCN. Mark is such a great guy and a real hoot to be with. I introduce Mark to?Steve Cogels ?and?PlexusAV ?to get the inside scoop on the brand, ahead of their launch at?InfoComm 2023… I also walk Mark past the amazing?HYPERVSN ?booth, where they are showing?Live Streaming, as well as some other super cool interactive displays.?

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I then head over to see the lovely?Karen Horsrup ?at?Midwich . Karen and I go back well over xx years(not allowed to say apparently LOL!???)?and the Midwich Booth is absolutely heaving. I bump into?Russell Taylor , possibly THE nicest Guy in AV and?Phil Ashby ? whom DJ'd at the Peerless Party later on, along with?Amit Patel ?from?AV Magazine . Chris Neto, from?Starin , one of my favourite people in AV is doing his “thang” on the Midwich Booth and has organised some fascinating video’s and I catch up briefly with the fab?Jenny Hicks? as well. It’s ALL going on at Midwich, that’s for sure!

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I head on over to the?CEDIA ?Booth and catch up with?Matt Nimmons ,?Steve Carter ?and?Wendy Griffiths before receiving my sponsor's plaque for sponsoring?Together for Cinema ?from?Ian Morrish . If you haven’t already got on board with TFC, then whatever you do, have a look at their site?https://www.togetherforcinema.co.uk/ ?Ian, and the team do an amazing job!?

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After another busy day, I head off to dinner with?Dan Ferrisi ?and?Shawn Tobin?from?Commercial Integrator , another leading US Publication and we are joined by?Tim Bigoness?at?D-Tools?and?Josh Carlson , formerly at D-Tools but who now works at?Crestron ?US. And this is the great thing about Global shows like ISE… You get to catch up and spend time with some people you have worked with for years and never had chance to meet. We have a fantastic meal and whilst everyone else calls it a night, I jump in a Taxi and head out to the Legendary?Peerless-AV Party, THE Party of ISE…

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At the party, I get a chance to chat with my Big Buddies,?Rich Ventura ?at?Sony US ? (ex NEC),?Brian McClimans ?and?John Potts ?President of?Peerless-AV,?Nick Belcore ?Exec VP Sales & Marketing at Peerless and?Mike Campagna ,?who was our ex-Peerless President and now at Mimo. I watch Amit and Ashers Big Up the Crowd and enjoy some R & R with?Beky Cann , ?Chalene Chandrasiri ?I am soo proud of those girls… The club was packed with a “Who’s Who” of AV and what a night… I head off back to my hotel MUCH later than planned, but having had a great night… so Massive Congrats to?Hanna Emery, Paul Dawes ?and all the team at?Peerless-AV?for putting on such an amazing party as ever.

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Thursday 2nd?Feb 2023

Now I have to say Thursday was a little bit hazy. I know I got up and got to the show and made all my appointments on time. However, having only had 4-hours sleep, I did spend a little time on Auto-Pilot???and so apologies for the brevity of this Thursday's report, but it was another great day, and I met loads of fantastic people, but unusually for me… I didn’t get many pics… Maybe I was slightly jaded???????However, Big Up to?Paul Milligan ?and?Inavate ?for feeding me each day; great shout those little rolls and crisps. After drinking a significant number of Caffeinated drinks, I motored around the show, checking out “ New Tech” and catching up with some old friends like?Ian Baugh ?at?Panasonic , ?Steve Robertson ?at?Samsung ?and had a fascinating chat with?Rachel Hunt ?at Unicol. I have so much respect for Rachel and what she has achieved, and was great hearing all about her glory days with Leicester Tigers.?

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That night I head off to?Dave Haynes Sixteen:Nine?Mixer and?2023 Digital Signage Awards?with?Rainer Link ?and?Massimiliano Carlesi ?at?HYPERVSN?. It was great to catch up with?Peter Critchley ?from?Beaver/Trison ,?Peter Livesley?from?Esprit Digital,?Bryan Meszaros?at?Open Eye Global?and?Nikk Smith ? at?Pixel Inspirations . I sat next to the very lovely?Stephanie Scott ?and?James Keen ?from?Uniguest, ? who are shortlisted and, after a hotly contested and glittering awards ceremony, managed to win a well-deserved Highly Commended. Thankfully?HYPERVSN?were not up against them, and we win the penultimate category! This sparks wild celebrations back at The HYPERVSN Team Hotel, where we make?Chris Smith ?get out of bed to join us LOL!????I head back to my own hotel, absolutely knackered, but having had an amazing couple of days at the show.

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Read more tomorrow when I cover my final day… Does the bathroom wall fall on my head, and do I survive the final day of ISE 2023 and a day out at Twickers…?#AVTweeps

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